Kim Swee refuses to back off
Malaysia’s
(second left) vies with Myanmar keeper NATIONAL coach Ong Kim Swee has made it clear that he will not quit despite Malaysia’s early AFF Cup exit.
The target set for the team was the final but Malaysia failed to go beyond the group stage after losing 1-0 to Myanmar in Yangon on Saturday.
Undeterred, Kim Swee has taken the AFF Cup failure as a challenge and is determined to achieve the other two targets set by the FA of Malaysia.
The other targets are qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup Finals and taking Malaysia into the top 140 bracket in the Fifa rankings.
Malaysia ended the year with five wins, five draws and five losses.
“Why should I step down? I am not thinking about it at all. Like I said after yesterday’s match, I have a contract until the end of next year,” said Kim Swee yesterday. “I, however, will leave it to the management to decide.
“I need to start planning for the next assignment …I am not going to step down unless the management decide otherwise or assign me for something else.
Malaysia’s next assignment will be the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers, which startwith the opening group matches on March 28.
Kim Swee faced intense pressure prior to the AFF Cup and the retirement of several players also made it very difficult for him to prepare a solid team.
in their AFF Cup
“I had obstacles while expectations were high as everyone wanted results. If we want to rebuild the team with young players, then people will have to wait for results as success will not be immediate. Are we (fans and concerned parties) willing to accept this?
“At international level, a player has to be very consistent. And to be consistent, a player needs a lot of international matches.
“Many players this year had earned their first caps.
“Kedah winger Syazwan Zainon, for instance, was superb against Cambodia, but his performances against Vietnam and Myanmar showed that he needs more time to progress,” said Kim Swee.