KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — There is a saying that when one door closes, another opens. And that's how former national footballer Azlan Johar views Kim Pan Gon's shocking resignation from the post of Harimau Malaya head coach.

Azlan believes that Pan Gon's resignation has given the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) the space to appoint someone who can offer much more than what the South Korean, who took charge of the Harimau Malaya in 2022, had been able to.

He said this included considering making acting head coach Pau Marti Vicente a permanent replacement for Pan Gon should the Spaniard prove his capability.

"Yes, it was a huge shock for Malaysian football but this is also an opportunity for us to find a better coach, thus paving the way for local coaches to prove their worth.

"Vicente cannot waste this opportunity if he is keen on developing football in the country. Having worked with Pan Gon, surely he knows the weaknesses that need to be worked on to bring a positive change to Malaysian football,” Azlan told Bernama.

Pan Gon resigned as the national football team head coach yesterday, citing personal commitments. FAM then appointed assistant coach Vicente as acting head coach and assisted by E. Elavarasan.

Prior to working with Pan Gon, the 41-year-old Vicente served as an assistant coach for the Barcelona Under-18 squad and he had also worked as assistant coach of Adelaide United in Australia.

Azlan was also surprised by the drastic decision made by Pan Gon, especially since the 55-year-old coach looked to be determined to guide the national team despite failing to help Malaysia make history by qualifying for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

The Harimau Malaya squad ended their Group D campaign in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in third spot with 10 points. Oman (12 points) and Kyrgyzstan (11 points) came in first and second.

The Harimau Malaya will now have to play in the final qualifying round to earn a place in the 2027 Asian Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, local football observer Mohd Sadek Mustafa described Pan Gon's resignation as a huge loss for Malaysian football given his penchant for giving lesser-known players the chance to break into the national side.

"I salute Pan Gon for changing the players’ mindset and improving the national team's world ranking.

"In terms of player selection, previous coaches practised favouritism but Pan Gon was always open to giving unknown players the chance to play for the country,” he said.

Mohd Sadek was also impressed with Pan Gon for rarely expressing his disappointment with the national football management and instead proved his capability by getting the desired results.

Pan Gon played a crucial role in improving the national team's performance on the international stage, guiding them to qualify for the Asian Cup Finals on merit after a 42-year wait.

In addition to helping Harimau Malaya to the 130th position in the world last November, which also happens to be Harimau Malaya's best position in the past 17 years, the coach also steered them to runner-up positions in the 2022 Thai King's Cup and 2023 Merdeka Football Tournament. — Bernama