KUALA LUMPUR: On Tuesday night at the National Stadium, following Malaysia's early exit in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers despite a 3-1 win over lowly Taiwan, Kim Pan Gon said at the post-match press conference: "I want to stay on, I have never asked to leave the team."
While he hasn't overstayed his welcome in Kuala Lumpur, there are pressing questions over what the 55-year-old South Korean coach can do to transform Harimau Malaya into Asian class.
For now, there is no announcement on Pan Gon's fate as FAM licks the wounds of Harimau's failed pre-World Cup campaign.
The feel-good aura that came with Malaysia achieving their highest world ranking, 134th, in the last 18 years before dropping to 138th, has disappeared. It now appears FAM is back to square one.
Two years ago, when Pan Gon replaced Tan Cheng Hoe as head coach of the national team and came with his own set of coaching staff, Malaysia made an immediate impact.
But now things look ominous for the venerated "Oppa" coach. The world stage is gone, and for Malaysia, what's next is the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers, from March 2025 to March 2026.
FAM will need to decide quickly — stick with Pan Gon or take a different route.
Pan Gon has said that he is still under contract with FAM, and he wants to guide Malaysia in the Asia Cup qualifiers.
Will that be good for Malaysian football? In terms of continuity, Malaysia should stick to ginseng power.
Pan Gon said on Tuesday that he plans to field younger players for Malaysia's upcoming matches this year. That's a sign the ageing players in the squad have outlived their usefulness.
Harimau Malaya had the fourth oldest team in the Doha Asian Cup in January, with an average age of 28.73 years. There were nine players over the age of 30; the team clearly need rejuvenation.
So, where did it go all wrong for Malaysia? Bear in mind that Kyrgyzstan, who finished second in Group D ahead of third-placed Malaysia and qualified for the next round, fared poorly against Pan Gon's team. Malaysia beat Kyrgyzstan 4-3 at home and drew 1-1 away in Bishkek. In contrast, Kyrgyzstan beat Oman 1–0 at home and drew 1-1 away.
Though FAM did not set any target, Pan Gon himself, had told the team that they needed to get at least 12 points. But they got only 10.
Pan Gon felt that the two matches against Oman — identical back-to-back 2-0 losses in March — were the ones that really hurt Malaysia's chances.
The Korean coach attributed these setbacks to poor strategic planning, as the players were on a long break from January to May, leading to a rusty national team. FAM, don't look away... what happened to all that talk about leaving no-stone-unturned in team preparation?
However, the bottom line is that Pan Gon is still responsible for player selection and tactical approach. And some of his decisions raised eyebrows, particularly the inclusion of Johor Darul Ta'zim's ageing Natxo Insa for the Asian Cup. The 38-year-old struggled starkly in the 1-0 loss to Bahrain.
Yet, overall, Pan Gon has won praises, from pundits and former national players for the way he uplifted the Malaysian team, the Oman stumble, notwithstanding.
Pan Gon seems to have a knack for man-management and bringing the best out of his men when the chips are down. This was evident in their rousing 4-3 comeback win over Kyrgyzstan and the remarkable 3-3 draw with mighty South Korea in the Asian Cup.
But is that enough for Pan Gon to continue leading Harimau Malaya or will FAM head back to the drawing board, which they have done countless times over the decades?
FAM officials, who have seen numerous national coaches come and go, will need to ask themselves whether they should give Pan Gon more time to prove himself.
Last November, Pan Gon signed a two-year contract extension with FAM until 2025. The question now is does FAM have continued faith in him in the national team's Asian Cup campaign which stretches until 2026?
However, Malaysia is not known to have a ruthless hiring and firing culture as practised in many countries.
Notably, another South Korean, Shin Tae Yong, has guided Indonesia to a historic third round in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.