Is it time for a hero yet!?
This week has truly been a sad one for an almost old-school Thai football reporter like me.
My beloved team, Muangthong United, nicknamed the 'Kilen Phayong,' was relegated to League 2 for the first time in 17 years, marking a historic fall.
On top of that, both Thailand's U17 men's and women's youth national teams, which were our hopes for the future, failed to make history by missing out on World Cup qualification around the same period.
The young female Chaba Kaew players can somewhat accept this, as they reached the knockout stage only to face a tall barrier—the North Korean women's team, a powerhouse in Asian women's football.
Their heavy 0-6 defeat was not particularly surprising given the strength gap.
But the U17 junior War Elephants, who had undergone thorough preparation and training,
with the Football Association of Thailand facilitating everything—from training camps to continuous international friendly matches against strong teams,
and even coordinating to bring in key quality players from Buriram to strengthen the squad tightly in the final stretch,
made Thai football fans and sports media alike hopeful that this time would be different.
They believed the door to the World Cup would finally open for our young Thai players.
Especially since in the first round they only faced the host Saudi Arabia, a favorite team,
and the other two teams, Tajikistan and Myanmar—our ASEAN neighbors—seemed manageable on paper.
However, when the matches actually began, the young War Elephants almost lost hope right from the first game.
They opened with a 0-2 loss to Tajikistan, conceding goals early and late, and suffered a red card, playing with 10 men just like the previous year.
In the second match against Saudi Arabia, they showed clear improvement and had many chances against the hosts but ultimately failed to score, losing by two goals again.
In the final game against Myanmar, it was expected that they would definitely secure three points and perhaps have a small chance to advance if Qatar reached the quarterfinals.
I even stayed up late to watch the live broadcast but was disappointed once again as we barely managed to draw 2-2 with the Myanmar youth team in a tight match.
In fact, we might have lost if the referee hadn't disallowed a Myanmar goal in injury time.
So we escaped finishing last in the group but returned home empty-handed.
Last night, I couldn't sleep well, repeatedly thinking about why our youth football has only this level of potential.
No matter the year or how much effort is made, we only manage to pass at the ASEAN level.
When stepping up to compete with other Asian nations, we are disappointed every time.
Okay, one could blame tactical mistakes or poor coaching decisions, like those of Marco Kockel,
but the real reason for failure is the actual ability of Thai players.
Also, our internal youth football management system still doesn't meet the demands of modern football development... or does it?
Have we ever tried to find opportunities to study the systems of countries where football is more advanced?
Take Japan and South Korea, currently Asia's top teams regularly qualifying for the World Cup finals at nearly every age group.
Look at how their structures are set up to continuously develop youth players without interruption.
FIFA gives Asian U17 teams eight spots in the World Cup for five consecutive years,
but in the past two attempts, Thailand's youth teams have never come close to realizing that dream.
Whether under native Thai coach Jadet Meelarp or German coach Marco Kockel, success has eluded us.
We'll have to wait and see who the association chooses next—whether a Thai or foreign head coach—to lead the mission of reaching the youth World Cup.
From what I've seen on social media, there is growing support for 'Coach Zico' Kiatisuk Senamuang to make a comeback and serve the nation once again.
He is an interesting option because he is a hero whom young players can still remember for his greatness,
both as a player and as the head coach during Thailand's 'Unrivaled ASEAN Champion' era—a lasting image today.
Sometimes, to help young players shine in the sport,
someone needs to be an inspiration for them to follow in their footsteps.
If salary is not the primary concern,
and the focus is on the pride of serving the country once more in life,
I think Coach Zico is well-suited for this mission.
Imagine the buzz if the 'Thai Youth Hero' helps the 17-year-old Thai team reach the World Cup.
What excitement could be greater than that!!!
- Bee Bangpakong -