Coach Bo speaks candidly before Thailand U20 meets Iraq, aiming to secure advancement in the Asian Championship tournament.
"Coach Bo" urges the Thailand U20 team to defeat Iraq to guarantee qualification for the final round, saying that aiming for just one point is not enough.
Jakrapan Panpi, head coach of the Thailand U20 national football team, urged his players to beat Iraq in the upcoming match to secure a spot in the final round of the Asian Championship after defeating Turkmenistan in the AFC U20 Championship qualifying Group F second match.
In that match, Thailand U20 narrowly defeated Turkmenistan U20 1-0 with a winning goal by Siwa Pikulhom, bringing the team to six points from the first two games.
"The first half was difficult; our game was somewhat sluggish with slower passing than the opponent. Turkmenistan played well, too. We adjusted the tactics at halftime, and the players managed to meet our goal of securing three points. At halftime, we emphasized not losing possession, playing the space between lines, and crossing. We have practiced this and told the players this was our target, which paid off with the goal. It's good to score from something we've trained for."
"We still face problems in the final moments—final passes and creating plays in the opponent’s half aren’t smooth yet. Our counterattacks lack continuity, and opponents often intercept. We've instructed that during counterattacks, we must avoid turnovers and move the ball quickly."
"In the upcoming match against Iraq, the situation isn’t secured yet because Iraq also needs three points to advance. We cannot settle for just a draw. We must play according to our plan, aiming to win to secure qualification. It's already a tough match; we expected increasing difficulty from the start. We need to fix issues and strive for victory to guarantee playing in China."
Thailand U20’s next match in the AFC U20 Championship qualifying Group F will be against Iraq U20 at Chonburi Stadium on 6 September 2026 at 19:30. It will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32, www.thairath.co.th/tv/live, Facebook: Thairath TV, Thairath Sport, and YouTube: Thairath Sport.