"Coach Bear" speaks frankly about the Thai futsal team conceding a goal to Timor despite winning their first match at the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship.
On 6 April 2026, Coach Bear Rakpol Sainetngam, head coach of the Thai national futsal team, gave an interview after their first group stage match in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship, where they defeated Timor-Leste 4-1.
Coach Bear said, “We secured the first 3 points, which is okay, but our second-half performance was poor, like a different team from the first half. We need to review the mistakes again. We played poorly overall and must improve and raise the team’s level. We also need to fix the players’ mental state. The players themselves know we didn’t play well in the second half, but I’m happy with the 3 points we earned.”
“When we conceded one goal, I mostly tried to motivate the players. There were some tactical adjustments but not many. After that, the team improved somewhat, but not enough. Overall, I’m still not satisfied.”
“As I’ve said before, our squad is a good team. I think Timor can compete well against the other two teams. For the remaining two matches against Myanmar and Vietnam, we must do our best, review, fix errors, and perform better than today.”
"Two goals from Hemed show his world-class level. His recovery was fast. Before the match at the hotel, we talked and he was ready and eager to play, but we didn't let him stay on the court too long. After 3 minutes, he had to be substituted out. Thanks to the cheers from the stadium and at home—the players could feel the support. Tomorrow’s game will be very important for us. We hope fans come out in full force to cheer.”
In their next fixture, the Thai men's futsal team will play against Myanmar in their second group match of the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship at the Nonthaburi Provincial Gymnasium on 7 April 2026 at 20:00. The match will be broadcast live on True Visions NOW.
