Kim Pan-gon (54), coach of the Malaysian national soccer team, made up his mind ahead of the confrontation with the ‘defending champion’ Thailand.
Malaysia, led by coach Kim Pan-gon, will play the first leg of the 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup semi-final against Thailand at Jalil National Stadium in Bukit Kuala Lumpur on the 7th at 9:30 (Korean time).
In terms of objective power, Thailand is ahead. Malaysia is also a formidable team, but Thailand is not only the champion of the last tournament, but also a strong team that took first place in Group A in this tournament. In the FIFA rankings, Malaysia is 145th and Thailand is 111th, with a gap.
Nonetheless, director Kim Pan-gon was not at all intimidated. According to ‘SNE Sports’, he said, “We know that Thailand ranks higher than us in the FIFA rankings. They won the last tournament as well. So we have to respect them by playing our best game and playing our strongest players.” 토토사이트
“So we will keep our DNA, our playing style, and our characteristics to make the fans who come to the stadium proud,” said coach Kim Pang-gon.
Manager Kim Pan-gon was not too worried about the Thai strikers, who had good personal skills. “We provide all the information available, so the players can adapt quickly. This team is a lot different than before, but it’s okay because we already have a plan,” he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia and Vietnam, who are also fighting for the final ticket, drew without scoring in the first leg of the semi-final. If Malaysia beats Thailand and advances to the final, coach Kim Pan-gon will face head-to-head with Shin Tae-yong or Park Hang-seo as Korean coaches.