Malaysia head coach Kim Pan-gon has resigned from his role on Tuesday, citing personal commitments as the reason behind his departure.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in announcing Pan-gon’s resignation, has stated that the South Korean, who took over in 2022, will be succeeded by Spaniard Pau Vicente on an interim basis, with E. Elavarasan as his assistant.
“For everyone’s information, Pan-gon met with the FAM management to express his desire to shorten his contract. This was followed by several more meetings where we tried to persuade him to reconsider, but ultimately, the FAM management and Executive Committee respected his decision and agreed to release Pan Gon by mutual consent, even though he still had a contract with FAM until December 2025,” said FAM Deputy President Datuk Wira Mohd Yusoff Haji Mahadi, as quoted from the AFC’s official website.
Pan-gon made a significant impact on Malaysian footballing history by leading the Harimau Malaya to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, ending a 43-year wait to qualify on merit for the continental tournament.
Although they did not progress to the knockout stage, Malaysia’s exciting 3-3 draw with a South Korea side led by Tottenham Hotspur talisman Son Heung-min was one of the tournament’s highlights.
“Today, I have decided to step down as the head coach of the Malaysian national team due to my personal commitments. I apologize for any disappointment this may cause to all parties. Since I arrived in February 2022, the Malaysian people have truly given me a very extraordinary and beautiful journey in my life,” said Pan-gon, as quoted from the official AFC website, “In June 2022, we shared the joy of Malaysia qualifying for the Asian Cup on merit after 43 years, and since then, we have risen to 130th in the FIFA rankings. In our last match at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar last January, we managed a 3-3 draw with South Korea, who were 22nd in the FIFA rankings, showcasing a pride that Malaysians should have in their football. Unfortunately, we did not qualify for the final round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. But with three wins, one draw, two losses, and 10 points, we have laid a foundation and momentum to sow hope for a bright future for Malaysian football.”
Failure to reach the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers means Malaysia will have to go through the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in an attempt to make a second consecutive appearance at the continental showpiece.
Since leaving Malaysia, Pan-gon has been subsequently linked to the vacant head coach position at K League 1 giants Ulsan HD, with Hong Myung-bo having left the Horang-i to take up the South Korea national team job. Pan-gon is also being linked to the vacant head coach position over at the Hong Kong national team, if the South China Morning Post are to be believed.