Kim Pan-gon

Kim Pan-Gon
Personal information
Date of birth1 May 1969
Place of birthJinju, South Korea
Playing positionManager (Former Left-winger)
Club information
Current team
Hong Kong
(manager)
Youth career
Honam University
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1992–1996Hyundai Horang-i38(0)
1997Chonbuk Hyundai Dinos1(0)
2000–2001Instant-Dict?(8)
2001–2003Double Flower?(?)
2003–2004Hong Kong Rangers?(?)
Teams managed
2003–2004Hong Kong Rangers
2005–2008Busan I'Park (assistant)
2008–2010South China
2009Hong Kong U-23
2009–2010Hong Kong
2012–2013Hong Kong U-23
2012–Hong Kong
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This is a Korean name; the family name is Kim.

Kim Pan-Gon (Hangul: 김판곤; hanja: 金判坤, born May 1, 1969 in Jinju, South Korea) is a South Korean football manager who is currently the head coach of Hong Kong national football team. Kim holds the AFC Professional Football Coaching Diploma, the highest football coaching qualification in Asia.[1]

Playing career

Kim Pan-Gon arrived in Hong Kong in 2000 to play for Instant-Dict FC. His left foot freekicks and fighting spirit earned him praise from the fans. He moved to Double Flower after Instant-Dict FC pulled out. In 2003 he became player-manager at Hong Kong Rangers FC and retired as a player at the end of the season.[2]

Managing career

South China AA and Hong Kong national football team

Kim returned to South Korea in 2004 and earned his Professional Coaching License, at the time only 5 men in Korea held the same qualification. After a few years working in the Korean League, he became the manager of Hong Kong First Division League giant South China from 2008. He is known for greatly improving the physical fitness of the Hong Kong players. He led the team to the semi-final of the 2009 AFC Cup, but lost to Kuwait SC.[2]

He was also the manager of the Hong Kong national football team and Hong Kong U-23 from August 2009 to March 2010, during which time he led the senior team to the finals of the 2010 East Asian Football Championship and the U-23 team to victory in the 2009 East Asian Games football tournament.

On 11 December 2010, after a 3-4 defeat by Kitchee, Kim Pan-Gon resigned from the post of South China team manager, citing health reasons that required him to recuperate back in South Korea.[3]

Gyeongnam FC

After returning to South Korea, Kim Pan-Gon became the strategic consultant for Gyeongnam FC as well as physical fitness consultant for South China[4]

Hong Kong National Academy

Kim Pan-Gon suddenly appeared in Hong Kong on 5 October 2011, he claimed to the media that his health has recovered and he has applied last week to the HKFA to be the new Hong Kong national team coach. He also confirmed that his contract with Gyeongnam FC still has one year to run, but he will be released if he is appointed by the HKFA.[5]

Kim Pan-Gon was appointed National Academy Coach by the Hong Kong Football Association on 22 December 2011. He will be wholly responsible for the identification, development and coaching of all players aged 18 and below.[6] He took up the position of acting head coach of Hong Kong national football team in November 2012 following the resignation of former head coach Ernie Merrick.

Due to the impressive performance under Kim's coaching, the Hong Kong Football Association confirmed Kim as the permanent head coach of the Hong Kong national football team on 28 May 2013. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the HKFA.[7]

Personal life

His cousin, Kim Ho-Gon,[8] is also a football coach and is now the manager of Ulsan Hyundai. Kim's wife, son and daughter both live in Hong Kong.[9]

Club career

Management career

Hong Kong national football team

As of 3 March 2010

# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1 23 August 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan  Chinese Taipei 4 – 0 2010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
2 25 August 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan  North Korea 0 – 0 2010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
3 27 August 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan  Guam 12 – 0 2010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
4 9 October 2009 Outsourcing Stadium, Shizuoka, Japan  Japan 0 – 6 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
5 18 November 2009 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Japan 0 – 4 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Abs.[12] 6 January 2010 National Stadium, Madinat 'Isa, Bahrain  Bahrain 0 – 4 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
6 7 February 2010 Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  South Korea 0 – 5 2010 East Asian Football Championship
7 11 February 2010 Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  Japan 0 – 3 2010 East Asian Football Championship
8 14 February 2010 Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  China PR 0 – 2 2010 East Asian Football Championship
9 3 March 2010 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Yemen 0 – 0 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Hong Kong Under-23 national football team

As of 26 October 2009

# Date Venue Opponents Result Competition
1 4 December 2009 Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Hong Kong  South Korea 4 – 1 2009 East Asian Games
2 8 December 2009 Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Hong Kong  China PR 0 – 1 2009 East Asian Games
3 10 December 2009 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  North Korea 1 – 1 (4 – 2 PSO) 2009 East Asian Games
4 12 December 2009 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Japan 1 – 1 (4 – 2 PSO) 2009 East Asian Games

References