Want to See 'Jack the Giant Killer' (One More Time)
The final battle of the season has arrived.
It's the final of the knockout-style Chang FA Cup 2025/26.
The match features defending champions Buriram United, who are pushing to claim their third title of the season and complete a treble.
They face the "Torpedo" squad, PT Prachuap FC, led by the veteran yet compact coach, “Coach Tia” Sasom Pobprasert.
Coach Tia has a long-standing connection with the powerhouse from Northeastern Thailand, dating back to when he coached Buriram FC in the lower leagues many years ago.
The match is set to kick off on Sunday evening, 31 May 2026, at 19:00, at Thammasat Stadium.
It will be broadcast live nationwide via the AIS PLAY and MONOMAX applications, as usual.
On paper, the Southeast Asian football powerhouse, Buriram—the "Serra Krao" champions—are clear favorites over Prachuap.
But in a one-off cup match, anything can happen.
Remember, Buriram players just endured a tough final in the ASEAN Club Championship—the "Shoppee Cup"—this past Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Prachuap have had a full two weeks of rest since their semifinal win over Lamphun.
So, will freshness overcome experience and skill? We'll have to see!
The final outcome of this championship match remains to be seen.
As for me, I still maintain that for international matches—whether Asian or ASEAN competitions,
I fully support Buriram, the representative club of Thailand.
But for domestic football, I take on the role of the 'jinx' opposing the Serra Krao players in every match.
Just like in this Chang FA Cup final.
If possible, I want to witness the 'Jack the Giant Killer' fairy tale from Sam Ao Stadium once again.
That unforgettable moment came in 2019 during the Toyota League Cup final at Thunder Dome.
PT Prachuap shocked all the experts by winning on penalties 9-8 after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes against the Serra Krao team.
The coach who created that historic achievement for Prachuap was “Coach Wang” Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul,
who is currently the head coach of Thailand's U23 national team.
Seven years later, Prachuap again has the chance to contest a major cup final against Buriram.
In an era when professional Thai football clubs heavily rely on foreign players as their core,
leaving very limited opportunities for Thai players.
What I truly admire about Coach Tia and club president “Big Gear” Songkiat Lim-arunrak,
is their strong policy of developing and promoting young Thai talent.
They consistently bring these players into the first team at a high rate.
Now, Thailand's young national team (the War Elephants U23) draws several new players from Prachuap.
The senior national team has also benefited, with "Iklas Sanharn" regularly called up by coach Anthony Hudson to strengthen the attack.
Moreover, the overall team performance has exceeded expectations.
From fighting relegation every year,
this season under the leadership of the "Mourinho of Thailand," Prachuap impressively finished 6th in the league.
They trail only the "Big Five" clubs, which have huge budgets that Prachuap cannot compete with.
Their cup run has also been remarkable, having overcome strong teams to reach the FA Cup final.
They even have a chance to play in the major Asian tournaments if they can topple Buriram in this match.
I spoke with Coach Tia before the final, and he admitted they are clear underdogs compared to the Serra Krao champions.
But just imagine if they played with an all-Thai lineup on Sunday—what would the result be?
Just a thought, because realistically, they will field their strongest squad to win another title.
Yet the charm of cup football lies in the possibility of an upset by a team considered the extreme underdog.
That is why I and many fellow fans who share this passion,
hope to see the 'Jack the Giant Killer' story unfold (once more) at Thammasat Rangsit this Sunday, no matter what!
- B. Bangpakong -