Thailand immediately removed the name of 'elbow king' Bunmathan

Despite pressure from public opinion, Japanese coach Masatada Ishii still removed star player Theerathon Bunmathan from the list of players called up to the Thai national team for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers taking place in October.

Bunmathan no longer has a place in the Thai national team - Photo: FAT

In a week, the Thai team will enter the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round, with two important matches against Taiwan (home and away).

On the afternoon of October 1, Coach Masatada Ishii officially announced the list of 23 names for the Thai national team this training session. Notably, veteran defender Bunmathan continued to be overlooked.

Now 35 years old, Bunmathan was once considered one of the best players in the history of Southeast Asian football. He played 105 times for the Thai national team, helping the team achieve all the glory at the regional level.

Besides his undeniable talent, the defender currently playing for Buriram United is also famous for his tough playing style with many dirty and despicable tricks. Fans nicknamed Bunmathan "elbow king" because he often secretly elbows his opponents.

The last time Bunmathan played for Thailand was in November last year, in the Asian World Cup qualifiers. Since then, Bunmathan has been completely ignored by coach Ishii.

Public opinion as well as many officials in the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) are said to be dissatisfied with coach Ishii's toughness.

A few weeks ago, former player Piyapong Pue-on (who played 100 times for the national team) and is now a member of FAT, asked Coach Ishii to call back veterans like Bunmathan, Teerasil Dangda and Jakkraphan Kaewprom.

Mr. Pue-on's statement is considered the "voice" of Thai fans, but was completely ignored by coach Ishii.

All three names mentioned above were again left out by coach Ishii in this call-up list. Not only that, star Ekanit Panya was also removed.

The Japanese strategist did not completely ignore the veterans. He still called up Chanathip, Thitiphan Puangchan or Phitiwat - players over 30 years old.

Thailand will meet Taiwan in the third and fourth matches of Group D, taking place on October 9 and 14. Thailand currently has 3 points after the first two matches, 3 points behind the top team Turkmenistan.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thai-lan-thang-tay-gach-ten-vua-cui-cho-bunmathan-20251001194550829.htm