“I believe we need to change the atmosphere that is dividing our club now,” said Kim. “I would like to congratulate the players for the victory. 

“The important thing is that we managed to get the three points and we hope to build from this. We're trying to improve through training and my job is to boost the players and give them the confidence to play the next game.”

One of the big positives from the match at Jeonju World Cup Stadium was the pairing of Lee Seung-woo and Tiago in attack, an option which he hasn’t been able to use consistently because of fitness issues. 

“They haven't been able to play together a lot, so there's a need for them to rediscover their understanding. That said, we saw a lot of combination play between them in this game. Hopefully it’s a positive that we can take into the next game,” the head coach said. 

As for Selangor, a first defeat  put a dent in their record but progression to the knockout stage remains very much in their own hands as they sit in second spot, two points ahead of their next opponents, Thailand’s Muangthong United FC.

Interim head coach Abdi Hassan knows his side have to do better and need to cut out lapses in concentration if the Red Giants are to prolong their stay in the competition.

“Unfortunately we lost,” said Abdi. “We had a tough game tonight, especially when you look at how the opponents played in the first half. 

“On this level, you have to be 100% focused and we need to be more focused with our man-to-man marking from set-pieces. Second half, we tried to take more risks and created some chances. But when you don't convert, it will be difficult.”