October 14, 2023
Pan Gon spoke at a press conference after the 2023 Pestabola Merdeka match between Malaysia and India at Bukit Jalil National Stadium last night. --BERNAMA photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Head Coach Harimau Malaya Kim Pan Gon praised the energetic action of his men to reach the 2023 Pestabola Merdeka final after defeating India 4-2, at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here last night.
Pan Gon said he was impressed by the performance of his players as they did not want to stop and kept running throughout the match to defeat India in front of 46,150 spectators.
"I am very happy to beat a higher ranked team like India (ranked 102). I understand that Pestabola Merdeka means a lot to them (Malaysians).
"The players continue to run and fight for their country and their families. I am very proud of my men because we are aware that we are ranked 134th in the world," he said in the post-match press conference.
The coach from South Korea was also happy with the action of his forward line as they could score up to five goals in the opening match of the first half.
However, the 54-year-old coach said that while he instructed his players to put on an entertaining performance for the home fans, he agreed that their attack had opened up space in the defense which resulted in two easy goals, one in each half, from the visitors.
"We have a problem in the defense, if we don't take risks the match might be a 0-0 draw. If you want them not to concede any goals, I can tighten up the defense but we want an entertaining game," he said.
Meanwhile, India's Head Coach Igor Stimac said last night's match was interesting even though it took place on a bad pitch.
He also complained about some of the issues they faced in the opening of the iconic competition such as the late arrival of the bus and the poor condition of the field for them to practice.
Regarding his midfielder Lallianzuala Chhangte's goal in the 56th minute that didn't count, the former West Ham United player refused to comment on referee Mongkolchai Pechhri's controversial decision even though the ball had crossed the line before being sent off by national centre-back Dion Cools.
At the same time, Stimac congratulated Malaysia for qualifying for the final and expressed his admiration for the great support of the home fans at the National Stadium.
Malaysia will meet Tajikistan in the final on Tuesday after the visiting team was awarded a bye after the Palestinian team pulled out following the tense atmosphere in their homeland at the moment.
