PETALING JAYA, March 8 — Harimau Malaya’s head coach Kim Pan Gon is hopeful his team can secure at least a point ahead of their third Group D fixture against Oman during the second round of the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on March 21.
Acknowledging the daunting task that lies ahead in Muscat, he said Malaysia must rise to the challenge against the current 80th-ranked team in the world.
“We need to secure a point, although it is difficult for the 132nd-ranked team (Harimau Malaya) to play against the 80th-ranked team (Oman) away from home.
“We also need to adjust to the time difference; with the match scheduled at 10pm, it will be early in the morning (2am) here, making it very tough,” Kim said to the press during the first day of the central training camp period today.
The South Korean also expressed concern his players might struggle to regain match fitness, given that the new season of the Malaysian League (M-League) is set to kick off in May.
“Our situation is not ideal at the moment, considering the league ended last December and the new season will not start until May. Players need regular game time week in and week out.
“After the 2023 Asian Cup, our players had zero game time, and some M-League clubs have not even started their pre-season. So, physically, we are behind, and playing away from home during Ramadan adds to the challenge,” he said.
In the meantime, Kim said that Harimau Malaya will face Nepal, ranked 175th in the world, on March 15 in a closed-door International Tier 1 Friendly at the FAM Headquarters in Kelana Jaya, ahead of the trip to Muscat.
Malaysia is on track to make history by qualifying for the third round of the World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers for the first time, currently leading Group D with a three-point advantage over Oman.
Kim’s team secured two victories against Kyrgyzstan (4-3) and Taiwan (1-0) last year to top the group. Oman, in second place, shares points with Kyrgyzstan, while Taiwan trails without any points.
Meanwhile, he expressed disappointment at the calls from certain local media for him to step down following Malaysia’s 0-4 loss to Jordan in the opening fixture of Group E at the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, in January.
As such, Kim emphasised the need for time and support from all parties, including the fans, to elevate Harimau Malaya’s standards.
Following the heavy defeat against Jordan, the national team suffered a 0-1 loss to Bahrain and managed a 3-3 draw against South Korea in the final group match, but a single point was insufficient to lift the team past the group stages.
— Bernama
