Bunmathan (number 3) and Dangda (number 10) return to the Thailand national team - Photo: SPORT
To appease Thai public opinion.
In the squad selection for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in November, the new head coach of the Thai national team, Anthony Hudson, has pleased public opinion in his home country.
That was also one of the reasons why coach Masatada Ishii was sacked by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) last month, when he refused to recall aging players who were past their prime to the national team.
This wave of public opinion emerged during September and October, when the Thai national team struggled in the Asian Cup qualifiers against teams considered weaker – such as Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.
Piyapong Pue-on, a former star player and current FAT official, publicly called in the media for a review of veteran players – specifically Dangda, Bunmathan, and Yooyen – but coach Ishii refused.
Not long after, the Japanese strategist was sacked, despite Thailand winning both qualifying matches in October. Clearly, Ishii's failure to please public opinion was one of the reasons.
As the technical director of FAT at the time Ishii was sacked, Coach Hudson was obviously aware of the issue. And for the November qualifiers, the former English star called up three players: Dangda, Bunmathan, and Yooyen.
Football fans in Southeast Asia are all too familiar with these stars, considered the quintessential representatives of the golden generation of Thai football that dominated throughout the 2010s.
But now, they are clearly getting too old. Yooyen is the youngest, at 33, Bunmathan is 35, and Dangda is 37.
A poor generation of football players.
Not only that, they are also being criticized for being past their prime. Yooyen – although not too old – has completely lost his starting place at BG Pathum United. He only played 23 games last season, and 7 games this season (mostly coming on as a substitute).
As for Dangda, his form isn't much better. The former top scorer of Thai football, who once scored over 300 goals in his career (64 for the Thai national team), has only scored a meager 9 goals in a year and a half since the summer of 2024.
Of these players, only Bunmathan has maintained his high level of performance. The former captain of the Thai national team has played 11 matches this season for Buriram, and is still fit enough to play in the AFC Champions League.
However, Bunmathan was the most controversial name, with his dirty, ugly style of play, to the point of being nicknamed "the king of elbows".
Bunmathan (wearing a blue and red striped shirt) secretly attacks his opponent during a match earlier this year - Photo: SC
Of course, if these stars continue to perform consistently and are eager to contribute to the national team, they deserve to be called up.
But in the case of Dangda, Bunmathan, and Yooyen, Thai fans have to admit the truth – calling up these three players only highlights a sad reality.
The current generation of Thai footballers is simply too weak. This is clearly demonstrated by the way Chanathip Songkrasin (who is also 32 years old) has had to carry the national team for the past few years.
"Thailand's number one priority right now isn't youth development, but winning," former star player Piyapong Pue-on urged when pressuring coach Ishii last month, also acknowledging that current Thai players aren't good enough to beat Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka – teams far behind them in the FIFA rankings.
Despite having a strong footballing nation with a deep and well-structured training system and systematic approach, it suffers from such a severe talent shortage.
Thai fans are probably sighing in disappointment when they think about their once-dreamed World Cup!
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/buon-cho-bong-da-thai-lan-20251106193258808.htm
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