KUCHING: “It was very tough, very tough,” admitted Kim Pan-gon after his side ground out a 1-0 victory over Kuching City FC to stay in second place.
The Selangor FC head coach acknowledged that his team were pushed all the way by a disciplined and dangerous Kuching outfit at the Stadium Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya last night (Feb 22).
“Kuching are normally a very attacking team, but today they were a bit more passive against us. It was quite tough to create goal-scoring chances,” he said.
Kim noted that while Selangor had a few opportunities in the first half, the cutting edge was lacking.
“There were chances in the first half, but the determination was not enough. In the second half, it was still a struggle. Kuching had very good counter-attacks as usual, as we know,”he told a post-match press conference.
Despite the difficulties, Kim praised his players’ mentality, particularly their persistence until the final whistle.
“I think our players showed very good determination in the second half. Until the last minute, we were still creating chances and trying to put the ball in. I appreciate the players’ mental strength and teamwork.”
Kim also described Kuching as one of the tougher opponents in the Malaysia Super League, cautioning that any lapse in concentration could have proved costly.
“They are a good team — very good as a team and also individually. If we had no concentration, if we were casual, we would (be) finished. Because they are a good team. I think we also had a little bit of luck.”
With more crucial fixtures ahead, including cup commitments, Kim said Selangor will look to maintain the same mentality and fighting spirit as the season approaches its decisive stage.
“We will maintain this mentality and spirit. We will continue to fight,” he said.
