Malaysia at AFC Asian Cup: A sense of lost opportunities pervades Harimau Malaya as they exit tournament

AS MALAYSIA tumbled out of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Doha following two successive defeats, their South Korean head coach Kim Pan-gon will return to Kuala Lumpur with a lot questions hanging over his choice of tactics and personnel, despite his charges bouncing back with a creditable draw against his home country.

While the team had redeemed themselves with the famous 3-3 draw against South Korea in the final Group E tie on Thursday (25 January), the Harimau Malaya are left to rue what might have been had the same approach, line-up and game plan were executed in the first two matches. It will be a while before the disappointment fades, as a sense of lost opportunities pervades the football fandom.

Seen as the quintessential coach for thorough planning, Kim has come under bad press across all platforms after the earlier defeats by Jordan and Bahrain. Felding questions during the live pre-match press conference ahead of the final group match against South Korea, he was asked by a journalist from a sports portal whether there was possible interference in team selection.

Giving the perfect riposte to the question, Kim said, “Why didn't anybody question my selection in all my previous matches? I believe all players had given their best. I prefer to think ahead. We need to move forward. There is no need to look back.”

As Harimau Malaya limped out of the tournament, particularly rueing that last-gasp 0-1 defeat by Bahrain, the internet was inundated with comments questioning Kim’s selection. Fans were clearly stumped by his formation in the 0-4 defeat by Jordan in the opening group tie and again by his decision in the Bahrain clash to substitute Syamer Kutty Abba with Ignacio “Natxo” Insa, a 37-year-old defensive midfielder whose only cap came six years ago.

Former Malaysian skipper, Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, said both decisions boggled the mind. Speaking as guest on Bernama TV’s Hayya Asia, a special magazine program on the Asian Cup, he said, “Insa is the sort of player who can provide the stabilising factor, but at that point of time, I felt we needed a player like Brendan Gan, who could have at least maintain the momentum. We were chasing for a win after all.”

Puzzling formation and substitutions

Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Insa, who had never played under Kim before the Bahrain match, came in as a like-for-like replacement for club-mate Syamer, who had been a steadying influence throughout the first half.

Insa’s solitary international cap came in a 2-2 draw with Mongolia in March 2018, in what was ex-head coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s first game in charge. Although known for his work rate, passing and vast experience in La Liga, he was not involved in any friendly matches nor official tournaments under Kim, despite several call-ups for the past two years.

The former Celta Vigo player, who turns 38 in June, was put on the standby list for the May 2022 call-up against Brunei and Hong Kong just ahead of Malaysia's Asian Cup qualifiers against Turkmenistan, Bahrain and Bangladesh. Insa was also among the 12 players who sought excuse from reporting to camp in November 2022, ahead of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup. In June 2023, he was announced unfit for the two friendlies against Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in Terengganu.

Zainal, who featured in Malaysia’s last win over South Korea in the 1985 World Cup qualifiers at Merdeka Stadium, was not alone in questioning the choice of Insa at such a crucial stage of the game. In another TV show, former national defender Razman Roslan also felt that Gan would be the better choice, as he had been a regular feature in Kim’s plans.

“(Together) with Syamer, Brendan would have been able to galvanise and thrust the team into action based on his leadership, experience and creativity. Above all, he understands Kim’s philosophy,” said Razman.

Born to a Malaysian father and an Australian mother, Gan was granted Malaysian citizenship in 2013 and earned his first international cap against Saudi Arabia in a pre-World Cup match in Jeddah in March 2016 under caretaker coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee.

Gan has been in the M-League since 2012 with Sabah, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor, amid a stint with Australia’s Rockdale City Suns. A one-year lay-off due to testicular cancer has robbed Gan some of his pace but not his unquestionable commitment, as he remains an influential figure in the dressing room for his positive vibes.

Against the Koreans, Gan’s combination with Stuart Wilkin kept the opponents at bay before he made way for Romel Morales, who eventually produced the last-minute equaliser that sparked wild celebrations among the Ultras Malaya.

Disappointment part of learning process

As the fans grapple with numerous “what could have been” issues, flanker Faisal Abdul Halim defended Kim’s decisions in an interview with the press in Doha after the defeat by Bahrain. The Selangor FC attacker said the team played a similar formation in the 1-0 win away against Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last November.

“The coach wanted to bolster the right flank by getting me to combine with Arif Aiman (Hanapi) and to utilise the height of Romel (Morales) and Corbin (Ong) on the left flank, but as everyone could see, Jordan was no pushover,” said Faisal, who netted a brilliant goal from a tight angle against the Koreans.

By assuming full responsibility of the results and issuing an apology for having overestimated his disciples, Kim may have kept the detractors quiet for now. He understands the Doha disappointment was part of a learning process for him and the players.

The one point earned against the Koreans, however, seems insignificant as neighbours Indonesia, with a much younger squad, advanced to the round of 16 along with Syria, Palestine and Jordan as the best third-placed teams.

With the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers to resume in March with Oman and in June against Kyrgyzstan and Chinese Taipei, Kim has to confront bigger expectations.

Banishing his customary black shirt and white pants by opting to wear a grey suit on Thursday, Kim is expected to continue exploring Malaysian football’s grey areas. After all he who rides the tiger is afraid to dismount. The safest course of action from this high-pressured venture is to carry it through to the end.

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