KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya may have lost their first World Cup qualifying match, but Kim Pan Gon’s side are still very much in the fight to reach the next stage of the qualifiers.
On Thursday, the world No. 132 Malaysia lost 2-0 to No. 80 Oman in a Group D match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat.
Issam Al Sabhi and Muhsen Al Ghassani were on target for the Red Warriors in the 58th and 88th minutes.
Malaysia came close to scoring in the second half, with La’Vere Corbin-Ong’s header rattling the crossbar, while Paulo Josue’s goal was ruled offside.
It was a questionable decision by the referee as the long ball had deflected off an Omani defender before reaching the Brazilian-born striker.
The defeat saw Malaysia fall from first to third position on goal difference, with Oman and Kyrgyzstan occupying the top two positions, all with six points each.
Malaysia will be seeking revenge when they host Oman in their fourth group match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
It was tough for Pan Gon to prepare his players for the match as they had just reported for pre-season training with their clubs. Malaysia’s football season only starts in May.
Despite the defeat, Pan Gon remains positive and believes his team will achieve something on Tuesday.
“We have to review our performance quickly and recover physically to prepare for the home game. We will try our best to give a good game,” he told a post-match press conference.
“I think it will be different in Bukit Jalil. Although the team’s fitness level is not up to par, I believe we can pull off something. We have to get some points in the next game.”
Pan Gon admitted the situation his team faced in terms of not getting enough match fitness was not normal and made it difficult for the players, but he refused to use it as an excuse to cover up the team’s weaknesses.
In addition, he feels his team needs to change the approach that hunts for at least one point when playing away.
“We will change our approach, especially against higher-ranked teams, as we want to reach the third round of the qualifiers for the first time,” he added.
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