"Madam Pang" responds for the first time to backlash over changing the Thailand national team coach after qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup.
On 1 April 2026, Madam Pang Nualphan Lamsam, President of the Football Association of Thailand, spoke candidly to the media after the Thailand national team successfully secured a spot in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup.
The Thailand national team hosted Turkmenistan at Rajamangala Stadium and narrowly won 2-1, increasing their points to 15 and overtaking to win Group D in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This qualified them as one of the 24 teams to compete in the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Previously, the Football Association of Thailand faced heavy criticism after replacing coach Masatada Ishii with Anthony Hudson, despite recently winning a decisive 6-1 away victory against Chinese Taipei. The decision followed the technical staff's recommendation citing incompatible working approaches.
Regarding the mid-course change of the Thailand national team coach after securing the 2027 Asian Cup spot, Madam Pang Nualphan Lamsam said, "If I speak from the heart, on the day the technical team made the proposal, I made the decision that day. Of course, the backlash was directed both at the technical team and at me."
"I believe many people have already seen that we chose to remain silent, and the results from those who left and those who came here are evident. I am confident that all results reflect the work of the association under my leadership."