Coach Kim Makes Roaring Start On Harimau Malaya Debut

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Mohamadou Sumareh was one of two naturalised players to come on for Malaysia. (Twitter pic/FA Malaysia)KUALA LUMPUR: The appointment of a new head coach in South Korean Kim Pan-gon has had the desired effect on the national football team as they carved out an impressively dominant 2-0 win over the Philippines in a friendly tonight.
JDT winger Akhyar Rasid stole the show with both goals at Singapore’s National Stadium in an impressive first half performance that highlighted Kim’s impact on the team’s playing style.
Akhyar, who was named the Most Promising Player at the 2019 National Football Awards, could have even notched a hattrick at the end of the first half.
Kim’s men, playing the first of their two international friendlies in the republic, produced an inspired performance that was full of aggression, quick movement and clean passes, especially in the first 45 minutes of the match against the 129th-ranked Philippines.
Unsurprisingly, Harimau Malaya needed just three minutes to draw first blood.
Akhyar, upon receiving a pass from La’Vere Corbin-Ong on the left, beat a Filipino defender before letting fly a powerful right-footed shot.
Malaysia nearly doubled their lead three minutes later but striker Syafiq Ahmad’s piledriver rocked the post.
But they did not have to wait long for their second goal as it duly came courtesy of Akhyar in a quick counter-attack in the 24th minute.
Safiq Rahim started the move with a quality pass to Syafiq, who then fed Akhyar on the left before the winger scored with aplomb.
Akhyar missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 at the end of the first half when he beat the offside trap but missed the target with his attempt.
Kim made five substitutions in the second half, bringing on two naturalised players – Mohamadou Sumareh and Liridon Krasniqi – as well as Aidil Zafuan Radzak, Nor Azam Azih and Safawi Rasid in a bid to add more bite to the attack.
The move, however, failed to have the desired effect with Harimau Malaya’s best chance only coming in the 61st minute when Arif Aiman Hanapi’s goal-bound effort was pushed out by goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The Philippines, who failed to register a shot on target in the first half, continued to struggle after the break, resulting in their first ever defeat to Harimau Malaya since 2012.
Malaysia and the Philippines drew all five of their previous clashes.
The 154th-ranked Harimau Malaya will now face world No 161 Singapore at the same venue on Saturday to complete their fixtures in the FAS Tri-Nations Series.
Kim’s men will round up their series of friendlies in Singapore, which is also part of their preparations for the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers, by taking on local club side Albirex Niigata on March 28. - FMT

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