Thai football has no way back at SEA Games 33

Thailand is eager to return to the regional throne.

For decades, Thai football has been a symbol of absolute dominance in Southeast Asia. The AFF Cup championship or the SEA Games gold medal came to the “War Elephants” as a matter of course, reflecting a football foundation that is ahead of the region in both level and thinking.

Thailand from “regional king” to “king without a throne”

However, football never stands still, and the strong rise of its opponents, especially Vietnam, has clearly shaken the seemingly inviolable position of the Thai people. Entering 2025, Thailand understands that they need a new affirmation. And nothing is more symbolic than regaining the SEA Games gold medal right at home at Rajamangala Stadium, where Thai football has reached the top many times but has not enjoyed that glory for too long.

In the history of Southeast Asian football, Thailand was once considered a model of superiority. They won the AFF Cup many times, held a record number of SEA Games championships, and were often the standard for other football nations to learn from. However, the tide has turned.

Although Thailand is still the number one team in Southeast Asia in the FIFA rankings, the title has not smiled on them. The national team was defeated by Vietnam in the AFF Cup 2024, and the U22 team has not won the SEA Games gold medal since 2017. A gap so long that even Thai football has to look back in surprise.

Young Thai players have gone through a long period of failure.

The Thais are no longer under the illusion that they are the superpower of the region. They aspire to reach out to the continent and the world , but they realize that to do so, they need to regain their basic foundation: their number one position in Southeast Asia.

And the 2025 SEA Games, held right in Bangkok, becomes the most important test. Not only because of the pressure of "having to win" at home, but because if they continue to miss the gold medal, Thai football will face a crisis of confidence, which can drag them behind in the long-term competition journey.

Large-scale mobilization

Aware of the vital nature of the tournament, the Football Association of Thailand acted with unprecedented determination at the U22 level. From the beginning of November, a month before the opening match, they called up a preliminary list of up to 50 players. It was not only an expansion in quantity, but also a test to "pave the sand for gold", to find the most suitable faces for the ultimate goal: winning the gold medal.

Thai clubs, which are not always willing to let players go, are willing to sacrifice their own interests this time. They understand that national football is at a decisive moment, and if the U22 team fails, the consequences will not only be limited to one SEA Games but could affect the confidence of the entire system.

Thanks to that consensus, Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul had enough force to screen for three consecutive weeks, before finalizing the list of 23 best players including prominent names such as Iklas Sanhon, Kokana Khamyok, Yotsakorn Burapha or Seksan Ratri...

The atmosphere in the team at this time clearly shows the spirit of “no more talking, just doing”. Regardless of the unpleasant weather or limited time, the Thai players still practice seriously, focusing on tactics and correcting individual mistakes.

The pillars also showed a rare humility. They did not allow themselves to be subjective before opponents like Timor-Leste or Singapore, even though Thailand was superior in theory. The SEA Games gold medal was considered a mandatory task, and the whole team understood that they had to approach the tournament with the utmost caution.

Young Thai players practice actively.

Before the training session, Yotsakorn Nathasit, midfielder of Khon Kaen United Club, shared: "The recent training session was very good. We practiced hard to prepare the best. The coach tried to emphasize correcting individual mistakes and tried to get us to show our best performance."

"The integration into the team this time has been very smooth. I know my teammates and worked with them during the previous training camp. We feel very familiar with each other. My goal at this SEA Games is to become a champion and win a gold medal. I want to call on all fans to come and cheer for us, starting from the first match on December 3 against Timor-Leste."

With careful preparation, determination and home field advantage, Thailand entered the 2025 SEA Games as the top candidate for the gold medal. But of course, Vietnam and Indonesia will not sit still.

Source: https://znews.vn/bong-da-thai-lan-khong-con-duong-lui-tai-sea-games-33-post1607390.html