Great mentor: (from top to bottom) Faisal Halim, R. Kogileswaran and Paulo Josue have all learned a great deal from coach Kim Pan-gon.
PETALING JAYA: Winger Faisal Halim has been counting the days to rejoin the national football team’s training under head coach Kim Pan-gon but the South Korean will not be there to welcome him.
Pan-gon has decided to quit almost a year before his contract ends.
And Faisal says Pan-gon’s premature exit has come as a shock to him.
“This is an unfortunate news. I still remember two months ago, he came to the hospital and gave me strength and support,” said the 26-year-old, who plays for Selangor in the Super League.
Faisal has been showing positive recovery from his wounds suffered from an acid attack in May and has started light training.
“Pan-gon told me – Faisal, I want to see you come back strong in the national team. I will give you my support and believe me, you will become more stronger.
“But he has now left. Thank you for everything coach.”
Faisal was not the only player to express their shock and sadness over Pan-gon’s departure. After all, the Korean has not only made a significant turnaround in the status of Malaysian football but has treated his players with respect.
In fact, he showed more faith in these players that many others didn’t.
Playmaker R. Kogileswaran, for instance, who played under Pan-gon in 2022, said the latter was one of the best coaches he had worked under during his career.
“You can see the progress shown by the team under his leadership over the last two years. I do hope he returns to the national setup one day,” said the 26-year-old player, who now plays for AI Semi-Pro League side Bunga Raya Damansara.
“People think he is strict and uptight due to his touchline antics, but that is not his character at all. He is humble and joyful. He took care of all the players like his own children. I still do keep in touch with him.
“When I wished him on his birthday, he told me, I hope you will come back to our national team, in the future.
“Even when I went for a short stint in South Korea with Cheongbuk Cheongju, he was always there to advise me.
“I remember when he said that in South Korea, everything will be hard. He told me the culture, language and training will be new to me, so I have to catch up real fast.”
Naturalised striker Paulo Josue said Pan-gon had planned as though he would be around for the Pestabola Merdeka from Sept 2-10 at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
“That’s why I was surprised to hear that he will be leaving us. Everything had looked good,” said Josue.
“Even after the Taiwan game (World Cup 2026 second round qualifiers, the last group game), we were planning for the future. I do not know whether he is leaving because there is another offer but I can tell you that it is a big loss for Malaysian football.
“We learnt a lot under him. Coach Kim organises things very well. The way he gets his training sessions done and the analysis he gives us on our respective opponents are spot on.
“We did well because of his professional setup. Players do not have to struggle thanks to the way he handled things. I hope his module will continue.”
Josue, who captains Kuala Lumpur in the Super League, wished acting head coach Pau Marti Vicente good luck.
“Now that he is the acting head coach, I do not know if he is going to change things or not. I hope I get called up by him in the next camp,” joked the 35-year-old Josue.
“Jokes aside, Pau is a good person. I wish him good luck.”
