Strong support: Malaysian fans cheering during the AFF Mitsubishi Cup Group B match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: National coach Kim Pan-gon has described the 4-1 win over Singapore as one of the best performances he has ever seen from the Harimau Malaya.
In their final Group B match of the AFF Mitsubishi Cup on Tuesday, Malaysia mauled the Lions at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil to qualify for the semi-finals.
“For me, this could be one of the best performances from Malaysia since I took over as coach. It was a deciding game, the pressure was different but the boys showed heart and team spirit in the game. We played great football,” he said.
Pan-gon paid tribute to the fans who showed tremendous support for his boys especially after the painful 0-3 defeat against Vietnam last week.
“I would like to thank all the fans who came and supported us. The Harimau Malaya’s potential exploded and I was happy to see that.”
The South Korean was glad that his players were able to regain their momentum after their loss to Vietnam.
“The last result (against Vietnam) disappointed me but I knew the boys would fight back.
“With time, they will only get better. Maybe the scoreline could have been better against Singapore.”
Pan-gon said the players’ sacrifices have certainly paid off.
“They have been away from their families for the last five weeks. I can see that they are hungry, they want to show something.”
Midfielder Stuart Wilkin was the toast of the team with two goals in the 50th and 55th minutes while striker Darren Lok drew first blood in the 36th minute. Playmaker Sergio Aguero applied the killer finish in the 86th minute with a beautifully placed shot from 20 metres out.
Faris Ramli scored Singapore’s consolation in the 84th minute.
Malaysia now have a date with defending champions Thailand, with the first-leg on Saturday at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
“I think my players were under huge pressure (before Singapore’s game) as they needed to perform to convince themselves. I fully encouraged my players to enjoy the moment, but tomorrow we start again,” Pan-gon said.
Vietnam will face Group A runners-up Indonesia in the other semi-finals.
Meanwhile, only 59,000 tickets will be sold for the match against Thailand on Saturday.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman said the ticket prices for the match remain the same as for the group level matches – RM30 (adults) and RM5 (children 6-12 years old) for open seats, RM50 for Premium seats and RM60 for Grandstand seats.
Tickets are sold online at www.tickethotline.com.my. There will be no counter sales. Singapore’s head coach, Takayuki Nishigaya admitted that he was disappointed with the result after failing to help Singapore through to the semi-finals.
“It was tough to play here but there is a lot of room for improvement for them because they have huge potential to grow further. Anyway, congratulations Malaysia and I wish them all the best in the next stage,” he said.
