KUALA LUMPUR: National Head Coach Kim Pan Gon feels overconfidence almost punished Malaysia against Kyrgyzstan in the second round of the 2026 World Cup/ 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group D opener here, last night (November 16).
The South Korean coach said confidence was crucial for every match, but it was also important to respect their opponents, especially when playing against higher-ranked teams.
He said letting slip a 1-0 lead heading into the break trailing 1-2 had forced him to remind the team of the matter, and he was relieved when his players managed to change their mindset and record a stunning comeback victory.
"I like confidence but we shouldn't be overconfident or arrogant, we must humbly respect the team ranked 97, so to me, it's a good lesson for us. If we are humble and respect our opponents then we have good ability, otherwise, we do not deserve to head to the next round.
"Anyway, our players showed their resilient Malaysian mentality in the second half, where they never gave up in any situation, they learnt from their mistakes and went forward, I'm very proud of them," he said during a post-match press conference after Malaysia beat Kyrgyzstan 4-3.
In the clash, Malaysia led 1-0 through Dion Cools, but fell behind 1-3 after goals from Kairat Zhyrgalbek, Ernst Batyrkanov and Kai Merk for the White Falcons took the wind out of Harimau Malaya's sails.
However, the national team fought back in style, as an own goal by Khristiian Brauzman, and two more from Cools and Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim capped a thrilling night for the home fans.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan coach Stefan Tarkovic was furious with the defeat as he felt his side lost focus following a 3-1 lead.
"It's difficult for me, I can say that I'm very angry and disappointed with the result. We created more chances than Malaysia but our big mistake was in defence as we conceded four goals.
"We scored three goals and could not take any points here, so it's disappointing," said the 50-year-old Slovakian, adding that his team should forget last night's (November 16) defeat and focus on the next one against Oman on Tuesday (November 21). – Bernama
