PETALING JAYA, Oct 8 — The Pestabola Merdeka 2023 is an important platform for national squad head coach Kim Pan-gon to select the country's best players who will take on Malaysia's challenge in the 2023 Asian Cup campaign in Qatar, next January.
The South Korean-born coach, however, said he will not make many changes in the line-up, but the players need to show and prove themselves.
“So, this stage (Pestabola Merdeka 2023) will be quite important for them (players). I think for us, we cannot change (players) very much because for me, I don't count only one game performance, because sometimes in one or two matches, the player's performance can drop.
“But we assess in general, so they have to show us good characteristics and understanding of technical aspects. I don’t think we’re at a stage where we will dismiss a player just because he didn’t perform in one game, that’s not my style, (and) it’s not the right way to develop a player,” he told reporters yesterday.
The Harimau Malaya will be in action again in the 2023 Merdeka Football Tournament from October 13-17 and it will also feature India, Tajikistan and Palestine.
Pan Gon’s men will then begin their 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November before competing in the 2023 Asian Cup Finals in Qatar next January. — Bernama