"Who scores when winning, who is the goal when losing?" The Thai women's football goalkeeper vowed to fight with all her might despite physical injuries after Thailand fell short in the gold medal match at the 2025 SEA Games.
On 15 Dec 2025 GMT+7, "Nong Beam" Thichanan Sodchuen, goalkeeper of the Thai women's national team, opened up after the Chaba Kaew team lost to the Philippines 2-4 in a penalty shootout (1-1 draw in regular time), dropping to compete for the bronze medal against Indonesia.
This defeat means the Thai women's football team, five-time SEA Games champions, have now gone five consecutive tournaments without winning gold since their last title in 2013.
Thichanan posted on Facebook: "When we win, people ask who scored the goals. When we lose, they ask who was the goalkeeper. Thank you everyone for your concern. I feel more proud than anything to have had the chance to perform today. I have waited a long time for this opportunity and wanted to help the team as much as I could."
Thichanan shared her feelings: "I'm okay since the final whistle. I accept the result and will keep moving forward. Except for my body which is very bruised and my hip hurts so much I can't get out of bed. During the match it was very painful; telling my teammates felt like being punched in the stomach, and after falling down I almost didn't want to get up. I'm not discouraged because this is my job. I love what I do, enjoy it, and it provides for me. Time passes and it's the past now; nothing can be changed. Thank you for letting us be one team today and thank you all for your support."
"Thank you to all the sponsors and thank you to myself for not giving up. I'm not Belinda Bonner Sodchuen, not beautiful, half-foreign, playing overseas leagues, so yes, it's a bit tiring. Let's keep going... where to next? Looking for a backup job; I want to be a police officer. I run fast."