KELANA JAYA – National football head coach Kim Pan-gon wants his charges to get at least a draw against Oman in their 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifier at Bukit Jalil tomorrow.
Pan-gon said getting a point against Oman was vital, with only two games left in this round of qualifying.
“But if we get three points, that would be wonderful,” he said at a pre-match press conference at Wisma FAM here today.
The South Korean added that the short turnaround between games – having played the away fixture against Oman last Friday – had presented his team with difficulties, especially when it came to his players’ match fitness.
He said the team would try to quickly fix problems from the 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture in Muscat.
“We are facing difficult circumstances here; the league hasn’t started, and the players can’t get enough training to get fit.
“But our players are really passionate, and they want to move on to the next round. Passion will help us move forward.
“So tomorrow, we need the support of the fans. They should come to the stadium to support us, and together we will fight for a good result.
“We cannot guarantee the result, but we will keep on fighting until the end and hopefully we can give the fans an exciting game,” added Pan-gon.
On Friday, a plucky Harimau Malaya side went down to Oman 2-0 after a good showing in the first half.
Following their win, Oman sit top of Group D with six points. Malaysia – having been victorious in their first two games – and Kyrgyzstan are also on six points but trail Oman on goal difference.
So far, a total of 15,008 tickets have been sold for tomorrow’s game, which will be played at the National Stadium at 10pm. – March 25, 2024