PETALING JAYA: Lay your hands off the players.
That was the clarion call issued by national coach Kim Pan-gon after his side lost 0-2 against Oman in the World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 second-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (March 26).
Instead, he has told the public that the blame falls on him for the result.
"As a leader, I apologise to the Malaysian public. It was tough. Losing that game wasn't easy at all," said the South Korean.
"I appreciate the players because of the circumstances they were in, it was difficult.
"We know why it was difficult. I've said it many times," referring to the lack of match fitness due to the rescheduling of the Super League to May.
"In this kind of situation, they gave 120%. They ran like dogs. That I've to say about the lads.
"I feel we should not have lost the game, we could have given a better result.
"The public should not criticise the players. The one that should be hit is the head coach."
Pan-gon has vowed to the fans that they would bounce back in the last two Group D encounters when they take on Kyrgyzstan (June 6) in Bishkek and Taiwan (June 11) in Kuala Lumpur.
