The “War Elephants” are making their final preparations before heading to Hanoi. With the goal of rejuvenating the team and building a new generation, coach Masatada Ishii has not called up a number of stars such as Chanathip, Teerasil Dangda, Theerathon…
Instead, he has given opportunities to many young players, as well as put more faith in players who have had few international matches. Defender Nicholas Mickelson is confident that with the current squad, Thailand can completely defeat both Russia and Vietnam.
He said: “We expect and believe that the Thai team has a chance to win both matches. The upcoming tournament is a good opportunity for us to show our collective strength. I know the Russian team is a strong team. Most of their players play domestically but their level is high so we cannot underestimate them.
With the Vietnam team, they are our competitors in the region. I myself have met the Vietnam team before. When I was playing for the Thailand U23 team, I remember that Vietnam was on par with us in terms of quality."
Mickelson was born in 1999 and is playing for the OB club in Denmark. Mickelson will most likely play as a right back in the next two matches.
Sharing the same determination is young midfielder Kakana Khamyok – who is only 20 years old. This midfielder, who is currently playing for Muangthong United, is one of the new recruits of the Thai national team.
“I am very happy to wear the Thai national team jersey. I will try my best. Training and playing alongside talented seniors will help me improve my skills. Being in the Thai national team this time is a surprise for me, so I hope the fans will follow me and support the team,” said Kakana Khamyok.
Before going to Hanoi, the Thai team elected a new executive committee. Accordingly, midfielder Weerathep Pomphan will wear the captain's armband, while center back Elias Dolah will be the vice-captain.
According to the schedule, the Thai team will meet the Russian team on the evening of September 7. Then 3 days later, they will meet the Vietnamese team . Both matches will take place at My Dinh Stadium.
