It is believed that as soon as Thai football fans saw the group draw results for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup,
a light of hope shone that this youth Thai team could secure a ticket as one of the top eight Asian representatives
to compete in the U17 World Cup final round in Qatar has begun to shine again.
Because when comparing the opponents in the four groups this time, it seems Group A, where Thailand is placed, has the smoothest path.
Except for the host, Saudi Arabia, who is the clear favorite in the group,
the other two nations, Tajikistan and Myanmar, judging by their overall standing, seem beatable for us.
This means the chance to finish as the top two teams, champion and runner-up of this group, is truly within reach.
The Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to take place from 7 to 24 May 2026.
With less than three months remaining, it depends on us how fully prepared the team will be!
At the U17 level, the playing skills of each nation are still quite close.
Judging solely by names like Myanmar or Tajikistan is not enough.
We must thoroughly study their performances in the qualifying rounds.
And assess how intensive their training and team preparation have been.
Remember, only eight out of sixteen teams will qualify for the World Cup, half of the tournament participants.
It's not just us hoping, but every nation in this tournament shares the same ambition!
It depends on who does their homework better, preparing the team and players more effectively.
The Thai national team has lessons from last year, having planned their training camp carefully.
But that still wasn't enough compared to other nations that were stronger and more prepared.
That’s why the Thai U17 team, led by “Serdej” Jadet Milap, did not succeed,
exiting at the group stage and missing out on the World Cup.
This year, under the guidance of young German coach Marco Gockel,
the Thai team qualified by winning against Kuwait in the final match.
It is hoped that the association's staff and technical team will learn from last year's mistakes,
providing coach Gockel with data to plug gaps and fix weaknesses so this team is as prepared and complete as possible.
Especially concerning the current player roster in hand.
Is this the best U17 team Thailand has ever had?
If not, it is the responsibility of both the coach and the association's staff
to find better players to serve the nation.
It is believed everyone already has information about these quality players,
including which clubs they belong to and their situations.
A proactive plan should be made to secure their participation in the Asian Championship.
The chance to grab a ticket to the World Cup is now close at hand.
No matter how big the clubs are,
I believe they will cooperate... all of them!!!
- Bee Bangpakong -