"Dugol" opens up candidly about the Thai national team after winning the Shopee Cup (video).
On 28 May 2026, Kenneth Dugol, a Thai-Australian footballer, gave an interview to Thairath Sports after the second leg of the 2025-26 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup final.
Buriram United, known as the "Thunder Castle," avenged their previous loss to Malaysia's Selangor FC by overcoming an early deficit to win 2-1 in the match, securing a 3-1 aggregate victory. This marked their second consecutive Shopee Cup title and their second championship of the season following the Thai League 1 title.
Kenneth Dugol expressed his happiness at successfully defending the Shopee Cup and emphasized his goal to also defend the Chang FA Cup title in the upcoming final against PT Prachuap FC on Sunday, 31 May, at Thammasat Stadium.
The Thairath Sports team asked about the Thai national team, as many fans wish for Kenneth Dugol to play for the "War Elephants," but he is unable to due to FIFA eligibility rules after having previously played for Australia's senior national team.
- A player must have played no more than three matches for the original national team (Dugol has played five).
- The last match with the original national team must have been played before the player turned 21, and the player must not have played for the original team for at least three years (Dugol last played for Australia's senior team in January 2022 at age 29).
- The player must not have played in a FIFA World Cup final tournament or other major final tournaments (Dugol played in four World Cup qualifying matches and one friendly).
When asked about frequently posting pictures in the Thai national team jersey on his personal social media and his love for Thailand, Kenneth Dugol said, "Yes, I am of Thai descent. It's unfortunate I haven't had the chance to play for the Thai national team, but I definitely have Thai blood, and I support the Thai national team."
"(Are you proud to be Thai?) Absolutely. I didn't grow up here, so my culture and language are different, but I am proud to be Thai."