Asian Cup 2023 group stage

Qatar and Thailand will kick off their campaign in Group F of the Asian Cup against Kyrgyzstan, a team considered to be a manageable opponent. The match will start at 9:30 PM.

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  The Thai national team's locker room is prepared before the match. Photo: Changsuek

  

  Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium two hours before kick-off. Photo: Changsuek

  

  The Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium's fully equipped changing rooms.

  

  The Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium is ready for the match.

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  Thai player withdraws from national team due to club reasons.

  Midfielder Ekanit Panya has been criticized by many Thai fans for withdrawing from the 2023 Asian Cup squad to train with Urawa Reds.

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  Thailand's coach wants his players to fight like Vietnam.

  Qatar: Ahead of their opening match against Kyrgyzstan in the 2023 Asian Cup today, coach Masatada Ishii hopes his players will show the same determination as Vietnam did against Japan.

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With the other two teams in this group being Saudi Arabia and Oman, the loser of the match between Thailand and Kyrgyzstan is likely to finish last. Therefore, winning is almost a mandatory goal for both teams if they want to keep their hopes of advancing alive.

Thailand has a richer tradition than Kyrgyzstan in the Asian Cup. However, their recent form hasn't been good. The Thai team has only won one of their last six matches. Furthermore, the dismissal of coach Mano Polking and the appointment of Masatada Ishii less than two months ago has caused significant disruption on their coaching bench.

This will be Ishii's first official match as head coach of Thailand. On January 1st, he coached his first match, witnessing Thailand lose 0-5 in a friendly against his home country, Japan. Thailand is missing several key players for this tournament, such as Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda, and Ekanit Panya, further increasing the pressure on Ishii.

Kyrgyzstan is not a well-known team in the continent. However, the strength and physique of this Central Asian team should not be underestimated. Recently, Kyrgyzstan has added naturalized players, most notably Koel Jojo, a player of Ghanaian origin, making their playing style even more unpredictable.

Quang Huy

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/thai-lan-vs-kyrgyzstan-4701597.html