According to BH Online on October 20, the defeat in the final match of Merdeka Pestabola 2023 (taking place on October 18) is not the end of the story because football continues, thereby opening up an opportunity for Harimau Malaya (nickname of the Malaysian team) to dispel disappointment. Therefore, coach Kim Pan-gon of the Malaysian team asked his students not to be too discouraged after losing to Tajikistan at home in Bukit Jalil, instead look forward when many tournaments are waiting for them in the near future.
Malaysian players disappointed after failing to win the Merdeka Pestabola 2023 championship
"The defeat (to Tajikistan) is disappointing. But don't be afraid. We need to be steadfast and keep our spirits up to win. This is the way for us to progress and move forward. We will not give up or retreat, but continue to fight for the Malaysian flag," said coach Kim Pan-gon.
The South Korean coach remains optimistic that his team will surely emerge stronger after being "given a lesson" by Tajikistan. Mr. Kim Pan-gon admitted that the mistakes exploited by the opponent need to be corrected but cannot be fixed overnight.
Coach Kim Pan-gon calls on his players to stand up after disappointment
"There are mistakes we can fix right away but there are mistakes that take time to improve. Our ability is limited in some things but after going through it, the whole team will try our best. The defeat (in the final of Merdeka Pestabola 2023) is really disappointing and I hope the players can learn a lot from this loss to continue to improve. Everyone can make mistakes but the more important thing is that we learn from the mistakes we make," the Malaysian coach emphasized.
Before the final match against Tajikistan, coach Kim Pan-gon received much praise after a year and a half in charge of the Malaysian team. The former Hong Kong coach led Malaysia from 154th to 134th in the world and won a ticket to the 2023 Asian Cup finals.
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