Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul admitted to feeling pressure due to his commitment to winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games.
According to coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, defeating U23 Malaysia in the SEA Games 33 semi-final tomorrow (8 PM on December 15th) will not be easy. In particular, the U23 Thailand players must maintain maximum concentration and not underestimate their opponent, even though they reached the semi-finals as the best second-placed team.
Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul stated: “I think the match against U23 Malaysia will not be easy. We must enter the game with the highest determination, making the most of every opportunity. U23 Malaysia is a quality team, with many outstanding individual players, and they are ready to make a difference on the field. Right now, U23 Thailand is focusing all its attention on the semi-final and not thinking about the final yet. If we overcome this match, U23 Thailand is ready to face any team in the final.”
Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul admitted that the Thailand U23 team is under pressure ahead of the semi-final match.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
“The U23 Thailand players are ready. Although the team has one injured player and two or three players who are not yet fully fit, with the available replacements, the U23 Thailand squad is still very strong. We are all determined to defeat U23 Malaysia,” emphasized coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul.
The 51-year-old coach also surprisingly mentioned the pressure that the U23 Thailand team is facing: “In football, whether it's the U23 Southeast Asian Championship in Indonesia (July 2025) or the recent U23 Asian Championship qualifiers, I always try to prove that U23 Thailand is the strongest team. Thai football must overcome every team in the Southeast Asian region.”
At the same time, in every previous SEA Games, our goal has always been the gold medal, and this time is no exception. Especially as the host nation, this responsibility is even greater, putting some pressure on the players. Therefore, I always remind my players that the U23 Thailand team must transform that pressure into energy and determination. Before taking office, I also committed to achieving this goal.”
Malaysia U23 are ready to spring a big surprise.
Before the SEA Games 33 semi-final, the U23 Thailand team dominated U23 Malaysia in every aspect. In their last five encounters, the young "War Elephants" won four and lost only one. In their most recent meeting (September 9th, in the U23 Asian Championship qualifiers), U23 Thailand also defeated U23 Malaysia 2-1.
Despite the unfavorable statistics, coach Nafuzi Zain declared that he and his players are ready to spring a big surprise in this year's tournament. He shared: “The U23 Thailand team is the host, they have a huge fan base and possess many of the best players in every position. This certainly won't be an easy match for U23 Malaysia. But in a tournament like this, anything can happen. We will play our own way and are determined to reach the final. Let's wait and see what we can do.”
Coach Nafuzi Zain declared he would bring a big surprise to the Thailand U23 team.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
Meanwhile, Malaysia U23 captain Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili also expressed his determination: "For us, this is like a final. We learn from our mistakes, especially the 0-2 loss to Vietnam U23 in the group stage. Malaysia U23 needs to show teamwork, play united, and go out onto the field with the highest determination."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-u23-thai-lan-thua-nhan-cuc-ap-luc-truoc-ban-ket-hlv-malaysia-quyet-tao-bat-ngo-lon-185251214180555386.htm
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