PETALING JAYA, May 19 — Selangor FC head coach Kim Pan Gon has urged his Red Giants to make full use of their home advantage in pursuit of victory in the first leg of the 2025/2026 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) final against Buriram United tomorrow.
The opportunity to compete in the final should be fully embraced, not only for Selangor’s glory but also to make Malaysia proud on the Southeast Asian football stage.
“I think it would be great if we can become champions, not only for Selangor’s glory but also to make the country proud. In Southeast Asia, we are always competing and working hard.
“So when we get the opportunity to play in the final, we must be proud and give the people something to be proud of as well,” he said during a pre-match media conference at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium today.
The former national team head coach said an injury-free Selangor side would not approach the match cautiously but would instead look to impose themselves from the start and make full use of their home-ground advantage.
While Buriram United deserved respect as one of Southeast Asia’s representatives in the ACL Elite top eight, Selangor would still adopt an attacking approach and stay true to their style of play.
Meanwhile, Kim said there was no need for him to say much to motivate his players, as they are already highly motivated ahead of the crucial encounter.
“I think I do not need to say too much because the players are already highly motivated and fired up for this match. They are united as one team and my job is to keep the situation under control because I do not want us to become over-excited,” said the 57-year-old South Korean.
Meanwhile, Selangor attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous hopes the confidence and winning momentum gained from their semi-final triumph over Vietnam’s Nam Dinh FC will continue to inspire the team ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
“For the last few weeks, we have been playing on the same page, building strong chemistry between the players whenever we have the ball and staying focused on our objectives,” said the French-born player.
The return leg of the final between Buriram United and Selangor is scheduled to take place in Thailand on Wednesday (May 27).
