Thailand face transition after Asean Cup defeat to Vietnam

BANGKOK - The Thai national football team are set to undergo a transitional phase after failing to defend their ASEAN Cup title following their 3-5 aggregate loss to Vietnam in the final of the 2024 ASEAN Championship.

Thailand head coach Masatada Ishii revealed that the team had two main objectives going into the tournament: winning the championship and ushering in a generational change within the squad.

"Obviously, we did not achieve the first goal, which was to win the tournament, but we are committed to transitioning to a new generation of players,” he said during a post-match press conference last night.

The War Elephants, champions of the 2020 and 2022 editions, were unable to retain their title after losing the second leg of the final 2-3 at the Rajamangala Stadium last night for a 3-5 aggregate defeat to the Golden Dragons in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.

Asked about his future with the Thai national team, Masatada said his focus now is on improving the team and delivering results.

"Overall, the players have matured and performed well despite not having sufficient time to train together. We will use this time to assess and identify players before the next call-up for the Asian Cup qualifiers. It will be beneficial to integrate some players from the Under-22 and Under-23 squads into the senior team to build for the future,” he said.

Vietnam head coach Kim Sang Sik, meanwhile, congratulated his team and expressed gratitude to the fans, describing the victory as a historic success for the country.

"I think this is just the beginning for me as the coach of the Vietnam national football team. This year, we have the Asian Cup and the SEA Games to aim for,” he said.

He also praised his players for giving their best throughout the tournament, with Vietnam securing their first ASEAN Cup title since 2018. - BERNAMA