PUTRAJAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is satisfied with the condition of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium (SNBJ) field which will be used for the fourth Group D match of the second round of the World Cup 2026 /Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Oman on March 26.
FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said he understood the frustration expressed by Harimau Malaya head coach Kim Pan Gon recently, but discussions with the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) showed there was enough time for the field to return to normal.
“He (Pan Gon) was worried about the current situation during our visit to SNJB, but the contractor gave the commitment to restore the pitch in two weeks.
“We visited once (March 7) and were 100 per cent satisfied. When the visit was held, FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin who was also present saw it as not a problem because there was still time,“ he told reporters after attending the 10th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day Celebration Ceremony at Putrajaya Equestrian Park this morning.
Pan Gon previously expressed his concern with the condition of SNBJ field after conducting an inspection with FAM president Hamidin, PSM chairman Datuk Hans Isaac and his coaching staff on Thursday (March 7).
The state of SNJB’s field became a hot debate before when the Harimau Malaya home ground was the venue for several concerts.
Harimau Malaya began centralised training at Wisma FAM on Friday (March 8) in preparation for the third Group D match, against world number 80 Oman, at Sultan Qaboos Sports Center stadium, Muscat on March 21, before returning for the fourth match at Bukit Jalil, five days later.
After the two matches, Malaysia, ranked 132 in the world, will meet Kyrgyzstan (June 6) away and return to Malaysia to meet Taiwan in Bukit Jalil on June 11.
Malaysia who are well on their way to qualifying for the third round of World Cup / Asia Cup qualifiers for the first time, are currently leading Group D by three points over Oman.
Pan Gon’s men recorded two wins against Kyrgyzstan (4-3) and Taiwan (1-0) last year to top the group table, while second-placed Oman share points with Kyrgyzstan, while Taiwan is in last place with no points. - Bernama
