KUALA LUMPUR – National football head coach Kim Pan-gon accepts responsibility for Harimau Malaya’s loss to Tajikistan in the Pestabola Merdeka tournament final last night at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The 54-year-old South Korean said his team succumbed to the pressure he put on them to win the 42nd edition of the tournament.
“First of all, I’m sorry to the Malaysian people, as we were expected to win the tournament.
“As a head coach, I’m really disappointed with the result, but I believe that nothing was wrong with our approach in the game.
“We were dominating the match and lost due to a few silly mistakes that led to Tajikistan’s goals. We will learn from this and move forward.
“My players showed a winning mentality, and they were pressured because of me, as I wanted them to become champions. It’s not a humiliating defeat, as you all have to understand that we lost against a team ranked 110th in the world.
“We need to improve in every single aspect. It’s a painful defeat, but it’s not the end of our journey,” Pan-gon said during the post-match conference.
Pan-gon also urged the fans to continue their support for the national team and trust the process.
“Many people have been criticising my players over the last few days, and I am very disappointed. I take the blame for this defeat, as I’m the one who came up with the plans and tactics. There is no point in criticising my players.
“We have been overachieving for the past one and a half years, and we reached the 134th ranking so fast, so I think the pressure to achieve has consumed us.
“We drew against Syria and China, and we beat India. This is only our first defeat after a long time, so please forgive us as a team and support us,” Pan-gon added.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan head coach Petar Segrt dedicates the victory to the Tajikistan football fans and hopes for this team to maintain this winning momentum ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in January.
“I’m really proud of my players and coaching staff for their dedication, which led us to win this prestigious competition.
“We will use this victory as a stepping stone for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup and also the World Cup qualifiers,” Petar said.
The 2-0 defeat in the Merdeka Cup also marked Malaysia’s second consecutive meeting with Tajikistan after losing to them in last year’s King’s Cup final in Thailand.
Malaysia will next begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Kyrgyzstan on November 16 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.
Malaysia is grouped with Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman in Group D for the qualifiers. – October 18, 2023