PETALING JAYA, July 16 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) tried to persuade Kim Pan Gon to stay on as the Harimau Malaya coach until his contract ends in December 2025, but to no avail, said FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi.

He said they tried over the past two weeks to get the South Korean to change his mind but the 55-year-old coach insisted on stepping down immediately today.

This, as such, ends the coach’s approximately two-and-a-half years of ties with the Harimau Malaya since being appointed to the post in January 2022.

“Pan Gon has met the FAM’s top leadership, which tried to convince him to stay on, but he insisted on cutting short his contract, which is only due to end in December 2025.

“We are certainly sad and disappointed because he has contributed massively in taking the Harimau Malaya to the Asian Cup Finals and (helped improve our) world ranking during his tenure as head coach. It’s a huge loss based on what he has done for us,” Yusoff Mahadi told a media conference at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya here today.

He, however, said FAM respected the decision made by Pan Gon, who had informed FAM president Datuk Seri Hamidin Mohd Amin of his intention to quit as the national team head coach.

Harimau Malaya Head Coach Kim Pan Gon waves to media practitioners after the press conference announcing his resignation as head coach of the national squad at Wisma FAM in Petaling Jaya July 16, 2024. — Bernama pic
Harimau Malaya Head Coach Kim Pan Gon waves to media practitioners after the press conference announcing his resignation as head coach of the national squad at Wisma FAM in Petaling Jaya July 16, 2024. — Bernama pic

Pan Gon, appointed as Harimau Malaya’s head coach on January 21, 2022, has steered the team to much success, achieving positive results on the international front just five months into the job.

Apart from the immediate improvement, the South Korean’s best achievement was helping Malaysia end a 42-year wait by guiding the Harimau Malaya to qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup Finals on merit.

The former Hong Kong coach had also helped prepare the national team for the 2023 Asian Cup and 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Pan Gon also achieved positive results against teams ranked in the top 100, including helping the Harimau Malaya hold world number 92 Syria to a 2-2 draw and world number 79 China to a 1-1 stalemate in away matches.

In fact, he even managed to guide the Harimau Malaya, ranked 137th in the world at one time, to a 4-2 win over world number 102 India in the Merdeka Football Tournament last October.

Malaysia were ranked 154th when Pan Gon took over and the team are now in 135th position. — Bernama