Thailand's coach warns Vietnam ahead of the Southeast Asian semifinal match.

Coach Thanathorn Santhanaprasit states that the Thai women's futsal team is prepared to prove their strength in the rematch against Vietnam in the 2026 Southeast Asian semifinals after an 8-0 win against Malaysia.

The 8-0 victory over Malaysia in the final group A match not only secured the Thai women's futsal team a spot in the semifinals 2026 Southeast Asian Women's Futsal Championship, but also provided a significant morale boost. This result simultaneously eliminated Malaysia from the competition, completing the two semifinal pairings: Thailand will face Vietnam, while Australia will meet Indonesia.

Against Malaysia, the Golden Temple nation's team demonstrated overwhelming superiority in both controlling the game and capitalizing on opportunities. However, instead of focusing solely on the large scoreline, Coach Thanathorn Santhanaprasit spent much of his time analyzing psychological factors – which he considers crucial for progressing further in the tournament.

Sharing after the match, the Thai coach stated: “This was a match where we wanted the players to perform with confidence and without putting pressure on themselves. Because during today's warm-up, they were worried they wouldn't play well. But once on the court, everyone tried to adapt better and performed better. Always improving.”.

Despite the decisive win, he maintained a cautious perspective when evaluating the team's performance: “Although we won 8-0, there were still some mistakes. There are still areas that need improvement.” This is seen as a necessary reminder before entering the high-pressure semifinal round.

Regarding the rematch with the Vietnamese women's futsal team, Coach Thanathorn expressed surprise at the bracket outcome while showing respect for the opponent: “If you asked me before the tournament, I didn't think we would meet in the semifinals because Vietnam is a strong team. But as the tournament progressed, I saw Australia's form. They performed very well in this round.”

He affirmed the determination to demonstrate the team's true capabilities: “We have met and defeated Vietnam before. Meeting again in the semifinals is also very good. It will be proof of our team's strength.” According to the schedule, the semifinal between Australia and Indonesia will take place at 15:00 on February 28, while the major clash between Thailand and Vietnam will begin at 18:30 on the same day.