* ‘I will not quit the team’ – assures Kim Swee
Interim national football coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee will stay with the team through “thick and thin” until his existing contract with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) expires.
The Malacca-born former international assured all that he will not walkout on the team following reports that he may quit the team.
“There is no truth that I may not be around for Malaysia’s next match (against Timor Leste on Oct 13) as I am still tied down by my existing contract with the FAM until the end of the year,” said Kim Swee.
The National Under-23 coach was appointed the interim national football coach hours after Dollah Salleh quit the job following a 10-0 hammering at the hands of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Group A (Asian Zone) World Cup qualifying match in Abu Dhabi last Thursday.
He took the national team that played Saudi Arabia at the Shah Alam Stadium on Tuesday. The match was abandoned after 88 minutes when Ultras Malaya through smoke bombs, flares and firecrackers which made play impossible.
Saudi Arabia were leading 2-1 – coming back from a goal down after skipper Safiq Rahim had given Malaysia the lead in the 70th minute.
Kim Swee reiterated that he will not abandon the team.
“In the first place I would not have taken up the job (as interim coach) if I had any plans to quit. More over I have a contract that runs through the end of this year.
“What happens next will only be decided after FAM decides on my contract…during the next three months,” added Kim Swee, who is upset with the sudden turn of events in the match against Saudi Arabia.
“Of course I am sad…and so are the players. We were doing okay and could have even shared points. But there is nothing much you can do after you saw what happened.
“It is a disgrace that it ended that way.”
