Rakpol Sainetngam, known as "Coach Bear," opened up after Thailand's national futsal team defeated Vietnam in the AFC Futsal Championship, confidently stating they can compete against either Indonesia or Iraq.
On 31 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Rakpol Sainetngam, head coach of Thailand's men's national futsal team, gave an interview following the third group stage match in Group B of the AFC Futsal Championship.
In that match, Thailand defeated Vietnam 1-0 with a winning goal by Krit Aransanyalak, securing a perfect 9 points and clinching the top spot in Group B immediately.
"The most important thing for us is the three points and not conceding any goals. This is crucial for the current Thailand national team. Winning 1-0 is not a problem. What the Thai team needs to change now is to avoid conceding easily and to play with a solid defense," Coach Bear said.
"Looking ahead, both Indonesia and Iraq are strong teams, and Indonesia has the home advantage. When asked who we will face in the quarterfinals, every team is good. Between those two, we can't choose. We are not the ones deciding, but it's sure to be a good match."
"We try to make our players enjoy this tournament because our squad includes 2-3 new players. We've already succeeded in the group stage, but the important thing is the next round. We don't know if we'll face Indonesia or Iraq—both play very well. If it's Indonesia, they have many fans ready to support them. But as I said, we don't get to choose; it's up to others to decide whether to pick Thailand or not."
"We lost to Indonesia in the last two encounters, but now everything is different. Previously, I coached Malaysia's national team and didn't focus on that. Now, as head coach of Thailand, I don't know what the future holds, but I focus only on my team. Working with players on the field can bring emotions, but off the field, everyone is like my children. When we're together at the hotel, we're like a family. But on the field, we must fight the opponents."
"Our next goal is to reach the semifinals. We've achieved the first goal already, but the next target is the semifinals. Hopefully, no players get injured. Our players must recover quickly to be ready for the quarterfinal match. I'm glad to see some Indonesian fans wearing Thailand jerseys to support us. Actually, people in Indonesia are like close friends; they know me, Coach Meed, and all the footballers. We're like siblings. We've also worked there before. If you watch the matches, Indonesian futsal fans cheer for us a lot. Because we're friends and brothers in the futsal community, both Indonesia and Thailand are happy and enjoy the competition."
Next, Thailand's men's futsal team will compete in the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship quarterfinals against the runner-up of Group B at Indonesia Arena on 3 Feb 2026 GMT+7 at 15:00, broadcast live on YouTube: BG Sports.