KUALA LUMPUR: Kim Pan Gon expressed his dissatisfaction with Kyrgyzstan's goal after Malaysia managed a 1-1 draw against the White Falcons at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, last night.
The result in the Group D action of the second round of the 2026 World Cup/ 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers has impacted Harimau Malaya's mission to make history by advancing to the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers and securing an early ticket to the Asian Cup.
The national team head coach said his team were determined to secure a victory and started the match well.
However, the 55-year-old tactician found Kyrgyzstan's goal scored by Gulzhigit Alykulov in the 24th minute, difficult to accept due to the handball situation in the build-up to the opening goal.
"For us, we were looking to win the game, but in reality, Kyrgyzstan was better than us...we started the game very well, but it was very difficult to accept the first goal, I think it should have been a handball. It was a really difficult situation, but we quickly came back to 1-1, which was good.
"In the second half, we actually tried to push more... I am very proud of all the Malaysian players, appreciate their efforts. I think they must be in pain. They really wanted to win tonight, but the result did not follow," the South Korean coach told a post-match press conference.
Alykulov surged past the national defence to score, receiving a precision pass from striker Joel Kojo who expertly controlled Kairat Zhyrgalbek Uulu's long pass from the middle right.
However, the game leveled when defender Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov inadvertently headed the ball into his own net, resulting from Endrick Dos Santos' freekick from the left side in the 38th minute.
The draw keeps Malaysia in third place in Group D with seven points - three points behind second-placed Kyrgyzstan, who also have a goal difference advantage going into the final match while Oman tops the group with 12 points and have qualified for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
