File photo of Kim Pan Gon. — Picture from FAM
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has no objection if new national head coach of the Harimau Malaya squad, Kim Pan Gon, picks a club coach as his assistant.
FAM secretary-general Mohd Saifuddin Abu Bakar said FAM was also ready to mediate between Pan Gon and the club to ensure a smooth process of appointing the local to be national assistant head coach.
“For FAM, if he (Pan Gon) chooses as such, we have to discuss with the club and of course if the coach has a contract, he also needs to discuss with his club whether he can be released.
“Of course if Pan Gon really wants the coach, we will help in discussions with the club,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Saifuddin said FAM has given Pan Gon unfettered freedom to choose any individual he deems qualified to be his assistant, with the parent body not setting any specific criteria for the position.
According to him, FAM’s priority is for Pan Gon to get the necessary support to carry out the responsibility of reviving the national team after lacklustre performances over the last two years.
“For FAM, it is what Pan Gon wants, whether he wants an assistant with experience as a player or as a club coach, it is up to him to decide but from the aspect of FAM, no criteria will be set,” he said.
The first task of Pan Gon and his coaching staff is to monitor the performance of players in the 2022 Malaysia League which is scheduled to start at the end of this month, before conducting his inaugural session at the national squad’s central training camp this March.
He will then guide the national team to the third round of the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers scheduled for June in a mission to end Malaysia’s 40-year wait to qualify on merit for the final round of the continental tournament.
Bernama had previously reported that FAM Technical Director Scott O’Donell was looking at 10 candidates, including a coach with a ‘big name’, to fulfill Pan Gon’s request to hire a local coach as assistant.
The names will be shortlisted by FAM and handed over to Pan Gon for his sole decision.
It is understood that two local coaches, namely Selangor FC assistant coach Mohd Nidzam Jamil and Terengganu FC head coach Mohd Nafuzi Mohd Zain are among those who withdrew from being nominated for the job because they prefer to honour the contracts with their respective clubs. – Bernama