Thai Coach: 'Must defeat Vietnam for honor'

Head coach of the Thai national futsal team, Rakphon Sai Netnam, expresses great respect for the Vietnamese futsal team ahead of their encounter, considered the "early final" of Group A in the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship.

After Thailand defeated Myanmar 2-0 to secure an early semifinal berth, this strategist particularly emphasized the quality and stability of the Vietnamese futsal team - the direct competitor for the top spot in the group.

“Vietnam is a good team; they have played together for nearly two years. When in top form, they possess a deep understanding of the game,” Coach Rakphon Sai Netnam commented.

The Thai coach's remarks reveal clear caution ahead of the decisive match for the group's first place. Nevertheless, he also affirmed that the spirit of the "War Elephants" will not yield.

“For the honor of Thailand and Vietnam, it will be a special match. It is a matter of honor,” he emphasized.

Not only aiming for victory, the head coach of the Thai futsal team also confirmed that the Golden Temple nation's squad will have certain considerations regarding personnel. According to him, securing the top group position is very important, but physical condition and readiness for the semifinals are also priorities that cannot be overlooked.

“Of course, I want to be the group leader, but there will be player rotation because we need good fitness for the next round,” he added.

Earlier, in the match against Myanmar, Thailand secured a 2-0 victory in a game assessed as well-controlled. While satisfied with his players' overall performance, Coach Rakphon Sai Netnam candidly pointed out the biggest weakness of his team: finishing ability.

“Looking at the match progression, we played quite well and controlled the game. But what made us uncomfortable was not converting opportunities into goals,” he shared.

Concluding his remarks, Rakphon Sai Netnam once again affirmed Thailand's winning spirit in the final group match, regardless of whether Vietnam rotates its squad.

“Regardless of who we face, our goal is to win. Whether Vietnam rests players or not, we will strive to our utmost because it is our honor.”

The match between the Thai and Vietnamese national futsal teams will take place at 20:00 on April 8.