Thai coach determined to defeat South Korea to secure World Cup qualification

Thai women's U20 team hopes to create a shock against South Korean women's U20 in the quarterfinals, in the battle to advance closer to the World Cup.

Thai women's U20 team stands before the opportunity to make a historic mark as they face South Korean women's U20 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Women's U20 Championship. The match not only carries the significance of competing for a semifinal ticket, but also opens the opportunity to move closer to the World Cup dream for the Southeast Asian representative.

In the past, Thailand has never had favorable results against this opponent. In their only semifinal appearance in 2004, they lost to South Korea 0-3, before the opponent claimed the championship. In 2015, a similar scenario repeated when Thailand again suffered a 0-3 defeat and stopped at the group stage, showing the significant gap between the two football systems.

Nevertheless, head coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian maintains belief in her team's ability to create a surprise. She candidly shared: “We have a slight chance against South Korea, perhaps only about 10%, but it is still hope. This will be a fantastic experience facing the two-time champion.”

Thailand's journey to the quarterfinals partly shows their progress. They secured second place in Group A after victories over Bangladesh and Vietnam, only suffering a narrow defeat to China. However, according to coach Nuengrutai herself, the team still needs significant improvement in attacking ability and tactical organization if they want to create a shock.

On the other side, South Korean women's U20 enters the match with certain confidence. The team started impressively with two wins over Uzbekistan and Jordan, though later suffered a heavy 0-5 loss to North Korea in the final group match. Coach Park Youn-jeong stated: “We always give our utmost effort in every match and remain confident. The whole team is in good physical condition and there are no injury cases.”.

Moreover, the Korean strategist also expressed respect for the opponent: “Thailand played well against China and possesses many quality players. We need to carefully analyze their style of play and prepare thoroughly.” However, she also acknowledged limitations that need addressing, particularly ball retention and attacking organization. Against a Thailand team with home advantage and high determination, the quarterfinal promises to be a challenging test, while opening the opportunity for a major surprise in this year's tournament.