Coach Wang aims to lead the Thailand U23 national team into the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Championship.
On 29 December 2025, the Thailand U23 men's national football team, known as the War Elephants, under the guidance of Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, began preparations for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournament, which will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7 to 25 January 2026.
Most recently, on 29 December 2025 at Yamaoka Hanasaka Academy in Rangsit Khlong 4, Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul led his squad in their first training session since calling up players for the camp ahead of their departure to Saudi Arabia on the night of 3 January.
Coach Wang Thawatchai said that only one player has yet to join due to club commitments that have just ended. "Whenever we compete, we have clear goals, and this time is no different. At the Asian level, we face strong teams like Iraq, Australia, and even China. I believe the players will benefit from this experience, but we also remain focused on results. At least, we aim to advance to the quarterfinals first."
When asked if missing many key players changes the preparation and goals, Coach Wang replied, "We've been preparing for about six months, using the SEA Games squad as our core. However, for the Asian Championship finals, we will be without several key players. Nevertheless, looking on the bright side, we have other young players stepping in. Everyone is capable and eager; I don’t want them to lose morale after the SEA Games disappointment. We must keep moving forward."
"I admit we've lost many key players. Initially, I expected to lose 3-4 players, but in reality, about eight are missing. This definitely affects us, but as I said, we must give new players the opportunity to gain Asian-level experience, so they can become the core of the team in the future."
For the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournament in Saudi Arabia from 7-25 January 2026, Thailand is in Group D alongside Iraq, Australia, and China. The champions and runners-up from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals.
Related news