The Thailand U23 team’s performance remains stagnant, having been eliminated in the first round of the AFC U23 Championship three times in a row since 2020.
On 14 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the journey of Thailand’s under-23 national football team in the AFC U23 Championship remains stuck at the "group stage" after another disappointing result in the 2026 tournament held in Saudi Arabia.
This result marks the third consecutive time the "War Elephants U23" have been eliminated in the first round since their last success in 2020, when Thailand hosted the tournament under coach Akira Nishino, who led the team to the knockout stage (top 8) before losing 0-1 to Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the Thailand U23 team’s performance has consistently fallen short of expectations.
In 2022 (Uzbekistan), coached by Worawut Srimaka – eliminated in the first round.
In 2024 (Qatar), coached by Issara Sritaro – eliminated in the first round.
In 2026 (Saudi Arabia), coached by Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul – eliminated in the first round.
In the latest tournament, the War Elephants U23 clearly aimed to reach at least the quarterfinals, but their group stage performance fell short, with two draws and one loss, earning only 2 points and finishing last in their group, forcing them to pack up and leave after the first round again.
This performance not only reflects the results on the field but also raises questions about the direction of Thailand's youth football development. Despite the passage of time, the gap between "hope" and "reality on the Asian stage" seems to remain unchanged.