Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, coach of the Thailand U23 national team, opened up after China caught up to draw in the first match of the CFA Team China International Youth Tournament in Xi'an.
Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, head coach of the Thailand U23 football team, praised his players' fighting spirit after drawing 2-2 with China U23 in the first match of the CFA Team China International Youth Tournament in Xi'an. Thailand's two goals came from Jehanafi Mama and Chawalwit Saelao.
Coach Wang said, “It was a good game and a very valuable tournament for the Thai team. We know facing China is tough because they are strong and a top Asian team.”
“We must commend the heart of every Thai player who fought China with passion and gave their all. We will be a team that plays our best to honor the invitation from China to participate in this tournament.”
“We know that the China U23 team is very strong now. Thailand will develop and do everything to beat China if we want to progress to a higher level.”
“In the first half, our players were still fresh and took the lead with two goals. It’s natural that China wanted to equalize. Several players experienced fatigue and some injuries, which affected maintaining consistent performance throughout the game.”
“Overall, the result might not have been favorable, but we gained valuable experience. The players learned about the higher standards of football.”
Thailand U23’s next match in the CFA Team China International Youth Tournament Xi'an is against Vietnam at Fengdong Football Park East Stadium, People's Republic of China, on 28 March 2026 at 14:00 Thailand time. The match will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32, www.thairath.co.th/tv/live, Facebook: Thairath TV www.facebook.com/ThairathTV, Thairath Sport www.facebook.com/ThairathSport, and YouTube: Thairath Sport.