At 8:00 p.m. on December 8, the Thai team will compete in the 2024 AFF Cup (new name is ASEAN Cup) against Timor Leste at Hang Day Stadium.
Before this match, Thai coach Masatada Ishii affirmed that the whole team was ready with the best preparation.
"At the beginning of the tournament we only had a few players but today we have more players. They understand what the coach asks and know what they need to do," he said.
In this tournament, Thailand brought a strong squad of players. In addition to familiar stars such as Ekanit Panya, Supachai, Suphanat,... the War Elephants also called up Thai expatriate players and young players.
"We not only focus on Thai players but also young players. Our goal is to help them practice their professional skills and improve their playing techniques. After the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, we know this is the time to find a new generation for the Thai team," the Japanese coach added.
Assessing this year's championship race, Mr. Ishii admitted that there is pressure but will focus on what can be done. Besides the championship, the team's further goal is to nurture young players who will be the future of Thai football.
In this tournament, the Timor Leste team chose Hang Day as their home ground because there was no field qualified to host the match in their country.
At the press conference, head coach Simon Ellechette sent his thanks to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
"VFF has given us the opportunity to choose a stadium in Vietnam. Since we arrived here, everyone has been friendly and supportive of the team. We hope to continue to receive support in Timor Leste's matches and have the feeling of playing at our home stadium."
Talking about Timor Leste's chance to make a surprise, player Joao Pedro expressed confidence:
"Everything is different at this point. Our squad is the same as previous years but the spirit is different. We can cause surprises. After bad seasons, the team can learn from experience, and can absolutely cause surprises in each match."
