KUALA LUMPUR – How does Kim Pan-gon differ from our Malaysian football coaches?
National football legend Datuk Thanabalan Nadarajah has raised questions about the tactics employed by the national football head coach and the versatile players that he has developed for Harimau Malaya in comparison to local coaches.
Thanabalan’s questions come after Malaysia’s 0-2 defeat at the hands of Oman in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifier at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium yesterday.
The loss also marked Malaysia’s second consecutive defeat in the qualifiers against Oman within a week, after losing to them with the same score on March 22 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman.
Speaking to Scoop, the 81-year-old former striker, who graced the national team from 1960 to 1969, said that Pan-gon’s tactics for the national team have lacked uniqueness since he came on board in 2022.
“I don’t know what is so special about him. I have never seen a major change in Harimau Malaya’s gameplay compared to his predecessor, Tan Cheng Hoe. The team still employs the same style of football (long ball) under the same tactics.
“Either Pan-gon gets overly defensive with his tactics when the team is under attack or his tactics are overly offensive. He’s yet to create an identity for himself since taking the job.
“If this is what he’s bringing to the table for Harimau Malaya, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) could have just stuck to our local coaches who have the same level of coaching licence.
“Pan-gon, being an experienced coach, should create an identity for his team instead of just applying a random tactic when he feels like he’s under pressure or when he’s panicked.
“As a coach, I believe they should create an identity for themselves. There is no use in over-experimenting and then always taking the blame when the players fail. People are sick and tired of listening to these kinds of excuses,” said Thanabalan when contacted.
Previously, Scoop reported Pan-gon was taking the blame for the defeat against Oman, citing that his charges had given their 100%, and they didn’t deserve to play in such circumstances.
Whether referring to pitch conditions or the team’s lack of matches over the past few months, Pan-gon’s remarks lacked clarity about the circumstances he was referring to.
Thanabalan further suggested that Pan-gon should put more effort into developing his players from scratch and prioritise local talents over naturalised and heritage players provided by FAM.
“As a national head coach, it’s important for Pan-gon to mould his own players instead of blindly working around with the naturalised and heritage players handed to him by FAM. He should test them to the maximum in diverse conditions.
“I don’t think the naturalised and heritage players under him are versatile enough to play in any pitch conditions. There are so many talented and versatile Malaysian players out there ready to play for the country if given a chance.
“I believe Pan-gon has to step up and be more active and scout Malaysian League matches to identify and nurture talents.
“This was how it was practised by our local coaches over the years,” Thanabalan added.
During yesterday’s match at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, the pitch could be seen tearing apart and affecting the gameplay of both sides, with players tumbling due to light challenges and tackles, especially on the flanks.
The match drew 26,499 fans, with half of the Malaysian fans leaving the stadium between the 85th and the 90th minute.
Following the defeat, Malaysia currently sits third in Group D of the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifier with six points. – March 27, 2024