This week’s major news in our local youth football world.
It inevitably centers on the announcement of "Coach Sakol Kliangprasert" ending his work.
With the “Mon Thong Sports Club” by the end of February 2026.
The youth football coach known as the “Dream Carrier Legend,” who led Mon Thong Wittaya School, a small school in Bang Nam Priao District, Chachoengsao Province,
to rise to become a wildly viral and incredibly famous football team nationwide.
His next destination will remain in the Paet Riu area.
He revealed that he will move to help develop the youth football team at “Phutthirangsee Piboon School” in Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province.
And several key players from Mon Thong are expected to follow him.
For example, “Jao Tae” Warakorn Changkhiandee, the team’s star winger, is likely to move with Coach Sakol to the new school.
We will have to watch Coach Sakol’s work to see how well he can build up the new base at Phutthirangsee Piboon School.
And whether he can make it as famously successful as he did with Mon Thong.
Well, since today’s opening for the Thairath Sports Column is about youth football,
I’d like to write about the aftermath of the recent under-17 seven-a-side youth football competition, the “Thailand Madame Cup” 2025/26.
It just concluded grandly last Sunday at the PAT Stadium, home of Port FC.
This year’s championship went to the “Singh Paknam” Ratchawinit Bangkaew School.
They won 3–2 on penalties against Nakhon Pathom Municipal Sports School after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
They claimed the “Madame Pang” trophy for the first time along with a prize of 300,000 baht.
This football tournament has been held four times since post-COVID-19, and each year has seen a new champion.
The first tournament in 2023 was held in Thailand’s three southern border provinces, with Pirayanawin School from Pattani Province winning the inaugural title.
The second champion was "Celtic Bang Nam Priao," Mon Thong Wittaya School from Paet Riu, coached by Sakol Kliangprasert.
The third edition was won by Assumption Sriracha School in Chonburi.
And this latest tournament crowned Ratchawinit Bangkaew as the fourth champion this year.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award went to Suttiphot Promsila from Nakhon Pathom Municipal Sports School.
He earned the right to sign a professional contract with Port FC.
He also traveled to train with Avispa Fukuoka in Japan for two weeks at no cost.
Meanwhile, the champion Ratchawinit Bangkaew, runner-up Nakhon Pathom Municipal Sports School, and third-place Kanchanaphisek College Krabi received special awards from the president of the Football Association of Thailand, Nualphan Lamsam.
They were given the chance to fly together to watch a match featuring the Thailand U17 national team in the final round of the Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia.
This year, “President Pang” went all out for this youth football tournament.
She increased the prize money to over 1 million baht.
She used her connections to send the top player to train with partner teams in the J.League.
Most importantly, she provided the exceptional experience of taking the top three teams’ players to support the Thailand U17 team in Saudi Arabia, chasing a World Cup ticket.
This emphasizes what “President Pang” always says: youth is always a priority.
Because youth players are the foundation of Thai football as a whole.
The more stages and competitive opportunities athletes have,
the better it is for the overall development of Thai football.
The growth of the youth football tournament “Thailand Madame Cup” has expanded from just 16 teams in its first year in the three southern border provinces.
To this year, it has grown nationwide, divided into 10 zones with a record 153 participating teams.
It creates a platform of opportunity for the nation’s youth to develop their skills and pursue their dreams in the sport they love.
There is a crucial piece still needed to fulfill the dreams of all Thai football fans.
That is securing a spot among Asia’s top eight representatives for the Thailand U17 national football team.
To compete in the final round of the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar at the end of this year.
“Madame Pang” has already made history by leading Thailand’s women's national football team to two World Cups.
This year, hopefully, it will be the men’s youth football team’s turn to raise the flag at a World Cup.
And the opportunity is truly within reach.
- Bee Bangpakong -