Thailand’s head coach is particularly cautious ahead of the match against Vietnam in the Asian Championship

Raksapol Sainetngam, the head coach of Thailand’s futsal squad, made significant remarks following their win against Lebanon at the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship finals.

Thailand’s futsal team had a smooth start at the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship finals by comfortably defeating Lebanon 2-0 in Group B.

Although they secured their first 3 points, coach Raksapol Sainetngam admitted his players faced many challenges against the West Asian side, while also praising his team’s performance.

He stated: "The opening match is always tough. Lebanon didn’t engage in open play with us but mainly used long balls. I must commend the players for their patience and adaptability against such a playing style. For me, the 2-0 scoreline isn’t the main point; what matters is that we kept a clean sheet and took all 3 points."

In the second round, Thailand’s futsal team will face Kuwait, a team that suffered a 4-5 defeat to Vietnam. Commenting on the upcoming opponent, Coach Raksapol affirmed: "We know their style well since we’ve met several times. Kuwait has speed and a skilled coach. Our difficulty lies in the playing surface, which is different from our training ground and faster. However, that’s no excuse; the whole team must quickly adapt to the pitch and ball. Kuwait is a strong opponent; we need to prepare well, rest, and recover quickly."

The head coach of Thailand’s futsal team also acknowledged some minor mistakes that need fixing and said they will continue training to be fully ready for the match against Kuwait.

Meanwhile, Worasak Sriharangpairoj, who scored the opening goal, shared: “The goal relieved pressure on the entire team. We practiced this situation, but during the game, it depends on timing and pace. I think the team played to their ability, although we still struggled with the unfamiliar pitch and ball. I believe we will perform better in the next match.”

After the first round, Thailand’s futsal team temporarily leads Group B with three points, tied with Vietnam’s futsal team but with a better goal difference. In the second round, Vietnam will face Lebanon on January 29, before clashing with their fierce rival Thailand in the final round on January 31.