29/05/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | MAY 29, 2026

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Pan Gon bemoans lack of experience … but Selangor FC coach still proud of team after losing ACC final

Skipper proud of Red Giant’s fighting spirit

SELANGOR FC captain Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim remains proud of the fight ing spirit shown by the Red Giants despite their 2-1 defeat to Buriram United FC in the second leg of the 2025 2026 Asean Club Championship (ACC) final at Buriram Stadium, Thailand, on Wednesday night. The defeat saw Selangor, under Kim Pan Gon, lose 3-1 on aggregate after the Thais had also secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg at the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) Stadium last week. Mohamad Faisal said Selangor had given everything in their pursuit of the title but admitted the team’s momentum was slightly affected after conceding. “We tried our best, we gave every thing. In the first 25 minutes, we con trolled the match, created chances and managed to get the goal. “After we conceded, it became quite difficult for us to regain the momentum to continue pressing forward,” he said, according to the official ACC website. The 28-year-old winger nev

S ELANGOR FC head coach Kim Pan-gon (pic) admitted first-leg nerves cost his side overall in the 2025/26 Asean Club Championship (ACC) final as the Malaysia Super League side slipped to a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Buriram United FC. Kim’s side rattled the champions in the opening exchanges of the second leg on Wednesday night, with Syahir Bashah scoring in the 18th minute to level the aggregate score and cause a wave of concern to ripple through the majority in the 30,889 capacity crowd at Buriram Stadium. But goals from Suphanat Mueanta and Theerathon Bunmathan eventually saw Buriram United prevail, winning 2-1 in the second leg and 3-1 overall to retain the title the club won last sea son. “I’m very proud of all the Selangor players. We have done very well, our players and I’m very proud. I think it was very positive tonight, I have no regrets,” said Kim, who took over as head coach in January. “In the home game I think the players weren’t used to playing in a final, it had been a long time and they were nervous. “We encouraged the players to show their characteristics, they must be representing our fans. It worked and even though it was an away game we were confident. I was very proud that we maintained our characteristics against such a strong team. “We tried to correct some things, some tactics. It was working, the defending was working very well. It was positive.” Syahir’s goal was a deserved early reward for a

Selangor team that dominated the first quarter of the match as Kim sent his side out to atone for the loss in front of their own fans with an energetic display. A tactical shift by Buriram United coach Mark Jackson after Suphanat’s equaliser, when he with drew defender Pansa Hemviboon and replaced him with forward Supachai Chaided, swung the momen tum in the Thai side’s favour and the hosts eventually won out. Despite the defeat, Kim was able to celebrate a positive conclusion to a campaign that had seen Selangor struggle in the first half of the season, with coach Katsuhito Kinoshi replaced by interim boss Christophe Gamel before the South Korean was appointed. In addition to reaching the ACC Cup final, Kim led Selangor to a third place finish in the Malaysia Super League and he is already looking forward to the new season with the promise of building on the perform ances of the last five months. Selangor, who were seeking a first major trophy since lifting the 2015 Malaysia Cup, can take pride as they became the first Malaysian club to advance into the final of the Asean Club Championship. “I came in the middle of the season and when we played the Asean Club Championship, it was always excellent,” he said. “We tried to build our characteris tics in this competition with dynamic play. “In the final it was a very tough opponent, but we tried to keep our characteristics. I’m a little bit upset we couldn’t get into second position (in the league). “We reviewed our characteristics and our DNA and I’m very much looking forward to next season. We will be very strong. We will challenge and go back to our position.” – Sportfive

ertheless described Selangor’s journey to the final as an achievement the team could be proud of. “This has been a very valuable experience for our team, we gave our best. Reaching this stage is a huge recognition and we will continue to work

hard for the future,” said the Malaysia national football t e a m player.

Limit number of import players

Joy and despair for national shuttlers

Ű BY ZUJ AHSAN sunsport@thesundaily.com

imported talent and local develop ment. However, he stopped short of calling for a full ban on foreign players, stress ing that imports still play an important role in raising the competitiveness of the league. “It is not necessary to ban foreign players like before. But perhaps their numbers should be slightly reduced.” Meanwhile, former Harimau Malaya striker Safee Sali said that while he acknowledged that limited playing time is one of the key obstacles pre venting the national team from produc ing clinical strikers, he believed that local players should not use it as an excuse. “In my view, it all comes down to player exposure in the starting eleven. Maybe they are not getting enough minutes to gain the necessary experi ence,” said Safee. He added that the modern game is evolving rapidly, with football increas ingly demanding players to adapt to different roles and systems. “Football today is changing very quickly. The modern game is moving towards more versatile players. So, play ers need to find their own place and adapt to earn their spot on the pitch.” The Malaysian Super League’s top three goalscorers this season are all for eign import strikers. Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Bergson Silva leads the chart with 26 goals, followed by Selangor FC’s Chrigor Moraes with 18. JDT’s Jairo rounds off the top three with 14 goals. Safawi Rasid, now playing for KL City FC sits at fourth place in the chart with 13 goals, but the versatile forward is not an out-an-out striker.

MALAYSIA’S mixed doubles duo Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei cruised their way into the Singapore Open last eight yesterday after defeating South Korea’s Kim Jae hyeon-Jang Ha-jeong at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The third seeds entered the quarterfinals after win ning 22-20, 21-14 in 41 minutes against the world No. 67 South Koreans. It was sweet revenge for reigning world champions Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who were upset by the lower-ranked pair during their first meeting at the Asian Champions quarterfinals in China last month. Tang Jie-Ee Wei are aiming for a strong showing in Singapore following their disappointing run at the Malaysian Masters last week, where they crashed out in the quarterfinals. They will face India’s Dhruv Kapila Tanisha Crasto next for a spot in the semifinals. Tang Jie-Ee Wei have not lost to the Indian pair in three previous encounters, with the most recent com ing at the Asian meet last month. In women’s doubles, world No. 2 women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M Thinaah were unable to find their rhythm as they fell to a lower-ranked Thai pair in the second round yesterday. Pearly-Thinaah, who were competing in their first tournament after a two-month injury layoff, lost 16-21, 19-21 in 37 minutes. It marked their first defeat to the world No. 105 Thai sisters Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsarrd. The Malaysian pair were forced to skip several tour naments after Pearly suffered a back injury at the All England Open in March. Thinaah said a lack of sharpness in their decision making under pressure led to the loss. “There were a few simple mistakes that we made, especially during the crucial points,” she said in a post match interview. “I think that’s something we need to take note of. Credits to the opponents. They really played well.” Tan said a disconnect in their movement patterns was a key issue, while acknowledging that the relent less pressure from the Thais compounded their difficul ties.

“Our rotation was disconnected. And the opponents did well to pressure both of us, and I think that won them the match,” she added. Despite the defeat, both felt encouraged after com ing through the match physically intact after their extended time away from the international scene. Thinaah said they had emerged from the tourna ment injury-free, and their focus now shifts to rediscov ering their rhythm before heading to Jakarta for the Indonesia Open next week. “It’s been some time since we were away from the tour,”she said.“The positive side is we are injury-free. We just want to get back our momentum. In mens’s doubles, defending champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik took a step closer to retaining their Singapore Open crown after smashing past England duo Ben Lane-Sean Vendy 21-18, 21-16. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani came out on top in an all-Malaysian second round battle with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King to advance into the last eight. World No. 8 Sze Fei-Izzuddin took their fourth straight win against their compatriots, but 17th-ranked Arif-Roy King did not make it easy for the Malaysian Masters runners-up. Sze Fei-Izzuddin were forced to go the distance but pulled through to win 23-21, 16-21, 21-8 in 52 minutes. It was a closer encounter compared to their previous three meetings, which went in Sze Fei-Izzuddin’s way in straight games. Eighth seeds Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face third seeds Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri in the quarter-finals after the Indonesians defeated Malaysian Masters champions Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard of Denmark in the second round. Meanwhile, Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing pulled off a sensational performance by upsetting Indonesia’s world No. 7 pair Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza to also reach the quarterfinals. World No. 27 Aaron-Khai Xing, competing in only their second Super 750 tournament, booked their spot in the last eight after winning 21-19, 21-17 in 38 min utes against the sixth seeds. – Agencies

HOW can we produce prolific strikers when local clubs are still heavily reliant on imported forwards to score goals, said sports commentator Sulaiman Hussin. Sulaiman said the current influx of imported forwards in domestic leagues has significantly reduced opportunities for local strikers to break into first-team football, ultimately affecting the national team. “When there is an oversupply of import strikers in our league, local for wards lose their place. Most teams will naturally prioritise foreign players in those positions,” he said when con tacted by theSun . Sulaiman explained that this situa tion often forces local players to adapt by switching positions in order to secure playing time. “As a result, they move to the wings or midfield because there is simply no space for them to play as strikers. Even when they are available, it is difficult for them to get minutes on the pitch,” he added. He warned that this trend is contrib uting to a decline in the production of natural or “pure” strikers within the local system, particularly among younger players progressing through the ranks. “We are producing fewer proper strikers because of this heavy reliance on import forwards in our league.” Sulaiman suggested that the issue may require a reassessment of current league policies regarding foreign player quotas, particularly in attacking roles, to ensure a healthier balance between