Thailand national team coach says something surprising before AFF Cup semi-final

Thailand is the first team to enter the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2024, even before the final round of Group A. And with a 3-2 victory over Cambodia on the evening of December 20, the "war elephants" have convincingly concluded their journey in the group stage, achieving the absolute score after winning all 4 matches.

Thailand national team coach thinks about the final

According to the regulations of the AFF Cup 2024, the first team in Group A will face the second team in Group B in the semi-finals. When asked by the media about the opponents in the round of 4 strongest teams, head coach Masatada Ishii shared: "In the semi-finals, the Thai team can meet any team. I do not particularly want to know which team Thailand will meet, or want to avoid any team. After the match with Cambodia, we will have a period of rest and make adjustments in both defense and attack, as well as improve the ability to execute set pieces."

"The Thai team has qualified for the group stage as the leading team. I would like to thank the fans. In addition, I would also like to thank the Football Association of Thailand and the clubs for their support and cooperation. There are still 4 more matches ahead, the whole team wants to win all 4 matches. I hope everyone will continue to cheer for the Thai team," Mr. Ishii added.

Coach Masatada Ishii is confident that the Thai team will reach the final of the AFF Cup 2024

It can be seen that the captain of the Thai team does not care who the opponent will be in the semi-finals. Moreover, coach Ishii also said that Thailand has 4 more matches, which means he has thought about 2 semi-finals (first and second leg) and 2 finals (first and second leg) and even the championship. This shows that the Japanese coach is very confident in the ability of the team he has led.

Coach Mastada Ishi has reason to be confident, as the Thai team has shown a convincing performance in the group stage. The "War Elephants" have shown the class and mettle of a great team through each match.

When will the AFF Cup 2024 semi-finals be played?

The first two semi-final matches of the AFF Cup will take place on December 26 and 27. In the first semi-final on December 26, Singapore (second place in Group A) will face the first place in Group B, at Singapore's home stadium. In the second semi-final on December 27, Thailand (first place in Group A) will travel to the away stadium to face the second place in Group B. The second semi-final matches will take place on December 29 and 30.

Cambodia national team coach wishes his opponent to win the AFF Cup

On the other side, Cambodia's head coach Koji Gyotoku shared after losing to Thailand and stopping from the group stage: "This was a very difficult match, when Cambodia had to face a very strong Thai team. I am not satisfied with the result of this match, because Cambodia's goal is to reach the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2024. Knowing that Cambodia has never passed the group stage in previous AFF Cup tournaments. However, I think that my team played quite well and tried their best. I hope that the Cambodian team will continue to improve."

Mr. Koji Gyotoku also blessed his compatriot on the other side of the front line: "Coach Ishii and I do not have a personal relationship. I know that Mr. Ishii is a famous coach in Japan. I see what he has done for the Thai team, especially in terms of tactics, building the foundation and adjusting to help the "war elephants" perform well. However, Mr. Ishii is not the only good coach working in Southeast Asia. The Singapore team coach is also Japanese and there are also Korean coaches leading teams in Group B. I think the Thai team will have to continue to face strong teams. Hopefully, Thailand will advance to the final and win the championship."

Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 is broadcast live and in full on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-doi-tuyen-thai-lan-noi-dieu-bat-ngo-truoc-ban-ket-aff-cup-185241221003515317.htm