As host, U22 Thailand easily passed the group stage. Under the leadership of coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, the team's only goal is to regain the position of Thai football, by conquering the gold medal. The last time Thailand won the gold medal at the SEA Games for men's football was in 2017.
Whether it is U23 Southeast Asia in Indonesia or the U23 Asian qualifiers, I always try to prove that if Thailand wants to return to their golden age, U22 Thailand must be able to overcome all teams.
Malaysia will not be an easy opponent. Their quality and potential cannot be underestimated. We have to focus on the semi-final match first. No matter who the opponent in the final is, we want to face them, said Mr. Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul before the semi-final.
Mr Thawatchai acknowledged the weight of expectations associated with hosting the SEA Games, but he saw it as a source of motivation rather than pressure.
"Every SEA Games, our goal is the gold medal, and this is no exception. As the host country, we are under pressure from fans, from the federation and from ourselves. But we all have the same goal.
We have to turn that pressure into energy and determination. Right from the moment I took this assignment, I told the players to enjoy football and believe in our goal, the Thai U22 coach emphasized.
Captain Seksan Rattree also agreed with his coach, emphasizing the importance of recovery, discipline and concentration.
He shared: "People are trying to recover and quickly grasp the strategy. My goal is to keep the gold medal in Thailand. We will not underestimate our opponents but will do everything to win.
In the last meeting in the U23 Asian qualifiers last September, U22 Malaysia lost 1-2 to U22 Thailand away. Malaysia U22 head coach Nafuzi Zain said: "Everything can happen in a tournament like this. We need to play our way and see what happens next.
Before the 33rd SEA Games started, many people predicted that Malaysia would soon be eliminated, but they played better than expected and now have a good chance to bring home the first football medal for the country after a long wait. The last time they won a medal was in 2017.
"Our initial goal was to reach the semi-finals. Now the next goal is to win a medal," Nafuzi said. "If we can reach the final, we are ready to face any team," he added.
The match between U22 Thailand vs U22 Malaysia will take place at 20:00 on December 15. The remaining semi-final will take place between U22 Vietnam vs U22 Philippines.
