'Pan-gon the Witch' - Coach Park Hang-seo's formidable opponent - who is he?
(Baonghean.vn) - If Malaysia wins against host Vietnam, they will surely secure the top spot in Group B and the first ticket to the next round. Vietnam has the home field advantage and has three more days off than Malaysia, so Malaysian fans have high hopes for Coach Kim Pan-gon, a South Korean.
The head-to-head record also gives the home team a psychological advantage as the Vietnamese team has never lost to Malaysia under coach Park Hang-seo, even winning all the SEA Games, AFF Cup and World Cup qualifiers. The Vietnamese team is currently ranked 96th on the FIFA rankings, 49 places higher than Malaysia, so coach Kim Pan-gon will have a lot of work to do.
Long term plan
At the 2020 AFF Cup, the Malaysian team caused great disappointment when they stopped at the group stage despite being the reigning runner-up. That year, they suffered heavy defeats against two direct competitors, Vietnam (0-3) and Indonesia (1-4), and Coach Tan Cheng Hoe had to resign.
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Coach Kim Pan-gon once worked as the Technical Director of the Korean Football Federation. Photo: VFF |
The Football Association of Malaysia has appointed South Korean Kim Pan-gon to the hot seat, saying he is “the most suitable person to lead the team, given his long experience at the national level.” His contract is for two years, with an option to extend for another two years if he meets requirements.
And at the AFF Cup 2022, Mr. Kim and his students will face another formidable compatriot, Mr. Park Hang-seo ofVietnam TeamThe two teams will face off tonight, December 27, at My Dinh Stadium (Hanoi). Before the match, Kim Pan-gon declared: "We have a plan to defeat the Vietnamese team."
What kind of person is "Pan-gon the Witch"?
Mr. Kim Pan-gon was born in 1969. As a player, he played for teams in the Korean league such as Ulsan Hyundai (1992-1996) and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (1997). In addition, he went to Hong Kong to play for Instant-Dict (now renamed Double Flower) in 2000. He was noticed by fans for his ability to take free kicks with his left foot and his enthusiasm on the field.
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Coach Kim Pan-gon, a formidable opponent of Coach Park Hang-seo. Photo: VFF |
In 1995, he broke his tibia while playing and had to undergo four surgeries to recover. However, Kim could no longer compete at the highest level. In 2003, he retired and took up coaching at the Hong Kong Buller Rangers.
In 2004, he returned to his home country and received his coaching license from the Asian Football Confederation. At that time, only five Koreans had this honor. He was then appointed as an assistant coach at Busan I'Park Club and later as the Head Coach of the club. Mr. Kim was nicknamed "Pan-gon Magic" by the Korean media for his coaching skills.
In 2009, thanks to his good relationship with Hong Kong football, Mr. Kim Pan-gon was appointed as the coach of the Hong Kong U23 and national teams. Immediately, this captain left his mark, helping the Hong Kong U23 team win the gold medal at the 2009 East Asian Games. In 2010, he won the runner-up position at the East Asian Football Championship with the Hong Kong national team.
The following years marked a low point in Kim Pan-gon's coaching career. In 2011, he became a fitness coach for Hong Kong club South China, but quickly withdrew due to health reasons. From 2012 to 2017, he returned to lead the Hong Kong team, but was unable to replicate his past achievements.
Coach Kim Pan-gon used to be the technical director of the Korea Football Association (since 2017), responsible for recruiting coaches for the U23 and national teams of this country, before being appointed as head coach of the Malaysian team.
Obviously, Coach Kim Pan-gon is a strong opponent of Coach Park Hang-seo because they understand each other very well./.
