Kim Pan-gon, coach of the Malaysia national soccer team, is convinced that a head-to-head match against Korea will be a strong ‘motivation’.
As a result스포츠토토 of the 2023 Asian Football Federation (AFC) Asian Cup group stage draw ceremony held at the Opera House in Doha, Qatar on the 11th, Malaysia ranked 27th in the FIFA rankings, Korea and Jordan (84th) and Bahrain (85th). ) were placed in Group E.
Malaysia was the first to enter Group E, followed by Bahrain and Jordan, and lastly Korea Republic.
It’s ironic fate. Korea is the opponent Kim wants to avoid the most. First of all, it is because the difference in objective power is large. Malaysia, ranked 138th in the FIFA rankings, is the weakest team included in Pot 4. Korea, which advanced to the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup last year, is classified as the strongest candidate for the title along with Japan and Iran. It was decided that it would be better to meet the host country, Qatar, Australia or Saudi Arabia. From Malaysia’s point of view, Korea is clearly a burdensome enemy.
Director Kim said in an online interview with this magazine, “To be honest, I didn’t want to meet Korea. I wanted to avoid it if possible. I thought it would be best not to be in a group with Korea. There are good players in Korea, and top-notch associations support them. There are also world famous directors. It was more burdensome because I know that better than anyone else.” As a Malaysian coach, it is a natural thought.
In addition, coach Kim was a key figure in the Korea Football Association just a few years ago. He served as vice-president of the association and chairman of the selection committee for the national team. Director Kim, who has to fight against the organization he was in, is bound to fall into complicated emotions in many ways.
Manager Kim Pan-gon during his time as an executive of the Korea Football Association. Courtesy of | Korea Football Association
The die was cast anyway. Coach Kim decided that if he had to deal with Korea, it would be better to use it in a way that would help Malaysia. It is because of the conviction that it can be a good class and study for Malaysian players.
Korea has the best players in Asia, including Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Jae-seong (Mainz 05). Malaysian players who are familiar with European football are also well-known stars.
Coach Kim said, “Korea has the best players in Asia who are active in Europe. For our players, just facing these players can be a really big motivator. When will our players be able to fight against players of this level again?” “We have improved a lot over the past year. There are still 9 months left. Strategically good plans were also laid out. In the match against Korea, I will prepare well so that I can show a good performance that matches my level.”
After taking over as manager Kim, Malaysia made a leap forward. After 43 years since 1980, it has qualified for the finals on its own, and in the Mitsubishi Cup, called the World Cup in Southeast Asia last year, it advanced to the semifinals and beat Thailand in the first round, achieving results that exceeded expectations. Korea is a formidable opponent, but it has the power to fight on an equal footing with Jordan and Bahrain.
Coach Kim also said, “Jordan and Bahrain are probably one step above us, but they will be able to play a much better match than the Korean match. Our goal is to advance to the round of 16 with good results in the match against the two teams.”