What did the Thai coach say when facing Vietnam at the Asian Cup futsal finals?

Thailand and their newly appointed head coach Raksapol are set to face Vietnam in the group round of the 2026 Asian Cup futsal finals.

On January 26, 2026, the press conference ahead of the 2026 Asian futsal finals took place. The press event included representatives from four countries in Group B: Thailand, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Lebanon. Thailand's futsal team was represented by head coach Raksapol Sainetngam.

Coach Raksapol stated: "We have about 20 days to prepare the team since I took over Thailand’s futsal squad. There are around 2-3 new players participating in this Asian Championship. We will do our utmost.

For me, this feels like coming back to a second home. Previously, I had the chance to work in Indonesia for four years. I am aware that Thailand recently failed to win the SEA Games, losing to Indonesia in the final match, but I must support the Thai futsal players, especially in terms of morale.

Some players might lack confidence. Sometimes we lose confidence, which is very important in futsal. I see these issues as normal. We have over 20 days to fix these problems. Our first focus for the players is to rebuild their mental state.

We have worked hard and invested a lot of effort into the players. One thing I hope is that we don’t look too far ahead. I can say I’m confident we will reach the final, but for now, let’s focus on each match and try to help the players maintain their spirit and perform their best in this tournament.."

Vietnam’s futsal team is placed in Group B of the 2026 Asian futsal finals alongside the defending runner-up Thailand, Kuwait, and Lebanon. However, Vietnam will only meet Thailand in the final group game. The Thai futsal head coach expressed high regard for all three opponents in this group.

"I agree with all the coaches at this press conference that Asian futsal is currently very competitive. Every team is at a high level. We cannot underestimate any team. We must focus on each match."