Who is Kim Pan Gon, and why did one of Harimau Malaya’s most beloved foreign coaches quit?

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Kim Pan Gon announced his resignation at a much-anticipated press conference yesterday afternoon, confirming speculation that his future as head coach of the Malaysian national football team was coming to an end.

The South Korean’s resignation came more than a year ahead of his contract expiry date, which has fuelled rumours about the reasons for his sudden exit.

Kim told reporters at the Football Association of Malaysia’s head office in Kelana Jaya, Selangor, that he stepped down because of “personal commitments”.

The news prompted strong reactions from local football fans, who see Kim as one of Harimau Malaya’s most capable coaches in recent years.

Who is Kim?

Kim, a South Korean, was a son of a family of peasants from Jinju, a small town in South Gyeongsang Province.

The 55-year-old is the youngest of five children in a low-income family that reportedly used to set up stalls to sell food 5km outside Jinju every Friday.

The man was a former professional player himself, having enjoyed stints at several clubs playing the K-League 1 in the 1990s. K-League 1 is South Korea’s top tier football league, featuring teams that have competed at the highest international level, with some having been crowned as champions of Asia.

Kim was also in the squad of Hong Kong outfit Double Flower that won the Hong Kong FA Cup in 2000.

He began his managerial career as a player-manager for Buler Rangers, a Hong Kong first division team and returned to South Korea in 2004 where he obtained the AFC Professional Football Coaching Diploma, Asia’s highest-level coaching licence.

Harimau Malaya ended the 2023 Asian Cup competition campaign by creating a sensational tie with the giants of Asian football, South Korea, 3-3, in the last match of Group E. — BK pic

Why was he loved by supporters?

Kim was instrumental in turning the Malaysian national team into a serious regional competitor, but most importantly won over local supporters with the style of play that was relatively more technical and aggressive.

The South Korean built on this strategy to help Malaysia qualify for the Asian Cup on merits for the first time in 42 years.

Although Harimau Malaya’s showing at the tournament fell far below expectations, Kim made Malaysians proud when the squad he led held a world-class South Korean team, led by Tottenham Hotspurs’ star captain Son Heung Min, to a 3-3 draw in a dramatic game that was considered one of the tournament’s best.

Malaysia’s Fifa world rankings also improved under the 55 year-old’s stewardship, jumping to 130th spot from 154th in just two years since he took over from Tan Cheng Hoe as Harimau Malaya’s national coach in 2022.

Harimau Malaya has had several foreign nationals as its head coach before Kim, including former top English players like Allan Harris who played for Chelsea FC and Coventry City FC, but none arguably enjoyed the respect Kim had.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell in a discussion with Malaysian head coach Kim Pan Gon during the Harimau Malaya squad’s central training camp at Wisma FAM, June 2, 2024. — BK pic

Why did he quit?

Kim told reporters it was because of “personal commitments”. At the press conference where he announced his surprise resignation, he read out a prepared statement in which he apologised for stepping down and describing the announcement as “sad” news.

The South Korean also said he would miss Malaysia, its food and the people, whom he affectionately described as “friendly, polite Malaysian people”.

He expressed love for durians and the smell of prawn mee, and that he would tremendously miss them.

According to Kim:

“I apologise for any disappointment this may have caused to all parties. Since I arrived in February 2022, for the past two and a half years, Malaysians have truly gifted me with a very extraordinary and wonderful journey in my life.

“In June 2022, we together share the joy of Malaysia qualifying for the Asian Cup on merit after a period of 43 years and since then, we have risen to 130th in the FIFA ranking. In the last action of the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, in January, we managed to draw 3-3 with the 22nd ranked team in the world, South Korea, thus showing the pride that Malaysians should have in their football.”

Harimau Malaya Head Coach Kim Pan Gon speaks during the press conference announcing his resignation as head coach of the national squad at Wisma FAM in Petaling Jaya July 16, 2024. — BK pic

How did local football supporters react?

Many were shocked and saddened. On social media, tributes poured in after news of his resignation broke out.

Kim was praised as a capable coach, someone with the abilities to build a squad that could soon compete with the likes of South Korea, Japan or the Western Asians if he was given time to nurture his players. Despite his short stint as head coach, a little under two years, fans said his track showed great promise.

There was also anger on behalf of someone whom FAM’s critics called one of its brightest hires.

FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said after Kim announced his resignation that the association had tried to persuade the Harimau Malaya coach to stay, but to no avail:

“We are certainly sad and disappointed because he has contributed massively in taking Harimau Malaya to the Asian Cup Finals and [helped improve our] world ranking during his tenure as head coach.

“It’s a huge loss based on what he has done for us.”