Thai coach exclaims one thing after narrow victory over Vietnam

Coach Rakphol Sainetngam expressed satisfaction after Thailand’s futsal team beat Vietnam 1-0, earning all 9 points to lead Group B in the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship, and aiming to progress far in the elimination rounds.

Following the final match in Group B of the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship group stage, where the Thailand men’s futsal team defeated Vietnam 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal by Krit Aransanyalak, securing full 9 points and officially claiming first place in the group to advance directly to the quarterfinals, head coach Rakphol Sainetngam shared notable comments.

Coach Rakphol emphasized: “The most important thing for us was to take all 3 points and keep a clean sheet. That is fundamental for the Thailand team at this moment. Winning 1-0 is not an issue, as long as we don’t concede easily and can defend firmly and with discipline.”

He added: “Our next goal is to reach the semifinals. The first objective has been achieved, but the next is to get past the quarterfinals. I hope no player gets injured and the whole team recovers their fitness quickly to be ready for the upcoming match.”

Reflecting on past defeats against Indonesia, the Thailand futsal coach shared: “It’s true we lost to Indonesia in the last two encounters, but things are different now. Previously, I was coaching Malaysia, so I wasn’t too concerned, but now I am the head coach of Thailand and I focus solely on my team.”

Regarding the players, Muhammad Osamanmusa said the match against Vietnam was quite tough because the opponent defended very well and contested every ball fiercely. However, he expressed gratitude to his teammates and coaching staff for maintaining patience to secure all three points.

Muhammad assessed that both Indonesia and Iraq are very strong teams. Regardless of the opponent, he believes it will be a big challenge. The AFC Futsal Championship is a prestigious tournament, everyone aims for the final, and the atmosphere at Indonesia Arena is a great motivation for players to give their best.

According to the schedule, the Thailand men’s futsal team will enter the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship facing the runner-up of Group B at Indonesia Arena (Indonesia) on February 3 at 15:00. Meanwhile, the Vietnam men’s futsal team will play at 19:00 the same day.