Pan-gon Quits as Harimau Malaya Coach: The Shocking Reason Revealed!

Source: Facebook

Petaling Jaya: Kim Pan-gon has officially stepped down as the coach of the Harimau Malaya squad after two years and four months in charge.

The South Korean coach decided to leave the team for personal reasons.

Pan-gon shared that during his tenure, the team achieved many successes, and he feels satisfied with the progress made.

“Today, I want to share my decision with everyone. I’ve decided to resign as the coach of Malaysia’s national team for personal reasons.

“I apologize for this decision. Since I came in February 2022, for two and a half years, the fans have been incredibly supportive.

“We shared the joy of qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time. The national ranking also improved significantly.

“The draw against South Korea in the last group match of the 2022 Asian Cup was a proud moment,” he said during a press conference today.

The most remarkable achievement was qualifying for the 2022 Asian Cup in Qatar last January, after 43 years of Malaysia missing out on the top Asian stage.

The national team ranking also jumped from 154th to 130th by the end of last year.

Pan-gon revealed that he made the decision to leave the team last Saturday after meeting with the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.

“Previously, rumors about my resignation in March were false. But after the match with Taiwan (2026 World Cup Qualifiers at Bukit Jalil National Stadium) in June, I met the President.

“I told him about my decision, and there was nothing hidden. I was honest and open in my discussion with him.

“The main reason for this decision, I cannot share. Only the President knows, and he will inform the FAM Exco later.

“Thank you once again to everyone, including the Malaysian government and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, for their support,” he said.