KUALA LUMPUR – India head coach Igor Štimac left no room for ambiguity as he expressed his concerns about the pitch conditions at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, following his team’s matchup against Malaysia during the Pestabola Merdeka tournament last night.
Speaking in a press conference after the match, Štimac did not hide his frustration, attributing the quality of the pitch to his team’s 4-2 loss to Harimau Malaya.
“The condition of the pitch is terrible, and our players struggled with our gameplay due to its state,” Štimac said.
“We played some good football, despite having limited time for proper training before the tournament, and we could have won this match if the pitch had been in better shape.”
Harimau Malaya began their Merdeka Tournament campaign in style by defeating the 102nd-ranked India in front of 46,150 fans at the national stadium.
Malaysia found the back of the net four times through Dion Cools (7th minute), Arif Aiman (20th minute), Faisal Halim (42nd minute), and Corbin Ong (61st minute).
India’s goals came from Mahesh Singh (13th minute) and Sunil Chhetri (61st minute).
Dion Cools earned his 18th cap for Malaysia today and was named the Man of the Match.
In stark contrast, national head coach Kim Pan-gon offered a different perspective on the pitch quality.
The 54-year-old South Korean coach expressed his belief in the pitch’s potential to emerge as one of the best in the South Asian region in the near future.
He extended his gratitude to Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and the Malaysian government for their support in providing the pitch.
“I’m actually impressed with the quality, despite it being in bad condition during today’s match. We should not overreact and criticise the government and TMJ’s efforts.
“The new pitch is still in the process of maturing, and, unfortunately, this tournament didn’t allow it the time it needed to settle.
“I have a strong feeling that the pitch’s condition will improve, as our next game is only four days from now. I have no doubt that this pitch can become one of the best in Asean in the years to come,” Pan-gon said during the post-match press conference.
Pan-gon also expressed his admiration for his team’s performance in their opening fixture against India.
“I love the enthusiasm shown by our players in today’s match. They ran tirelessly on the field, and we performed strongly by pressuring the opponent throughout the game.
“Our next game is against Tajikistan in the final, and we hope to get revenge after losing to them in the King’s Cup final in Thailand last year,” Pan-gon added.
Malaysia is set to face Tajikistan in the final match of the 42nd edition of the Merdeka Tournament on October 17. – October 14, 2023