KUALA LUMPUR: Coach Kim Pan Gon fears Harimau Malaya may become overconfident during the Asian Cup next month.
Reflecting on their performance in the Merdeka Tournament in October, where they suffered a 2-0 defeat to a youthful Tajikistan side in the final, Pan Gon said his players must avoid being complacent.
The South Korean expects senior players like Brendan Gan, Paulo Josue, Endrick dos Santos, and Junior Eldstal to bring stability and maturity to the team.
"In the last competition, we learned not to be overconfident. This preparation is important. We will be playing top teams, not weak teams, in the Asian Cup," said Pan Gon on the first day of centralised training at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya today.
"I think we have a balanced squad, especially in defence and attack. We have a good mix of players.
"I hope the experienced players will guide others. We have been waiting for a long time for the Asian Cup. As a coach, it was my dream to go to the main stage of the Asian Cup."
Pan Gon revealed that defender Dion Cools and midfielder Dos Santos will join the team later.
"Cools will join on Jan 1 or 2, depending on his flight schedule. Dos Santos has requested a few days off as his wife just delivered," he added.
World No. 130 Harimau Malaya will start their Group E campaign against No. 87 Jordan on Jan 15, followed by matches against No. 86 Bahrain on Jan 20 and No.23 South Korea on Jan 25.