PETALING JAYA, Nov 6 — National team head coach Kim Pan Gon will guide the Harimau Malaya to face all the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup even though his contract status is now a question mark.
Confirming the matter, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Secretary-General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said Pan Gon had the support of the national governing body to continue to develop the national team.
He said any decision involving the South Korean’s contract, which is understood will end in January next year, will be made in the next National Team Management Committee meeting that will be chaired by FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
“There have been discussions (issue of contract extension) but let us finish the World Cup/Asian Cup Qualifying campaign first...it is true that he (Pan Gon) will continue to have the opportunity to lead the national team because he has drawn up all the programmes until next year,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after FAM’s 9th Executive Committee Meeting of the 2021-25 term chaired by Hamidin at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya here, today.
Pan Gon, who was appointed to lead the Harimau Malaya in January last year to fill the void left by Tan Cheng Hoe, succeeded in improving quality and breathing new life into the national team.
However, the former Hong Kong head coach is reported to have yet to sign a contract extension to date.
In the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysia are drawn in Group D with Oman, Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan.
The Harimau Malaya will start their campaign against Kyrgyzstan at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur on November 16, before travelling to Taipei for the second match against Taiwan on November 21 and thereafter will continue with the remaining matches next year. — Bernama
