The Thailand U23 War Elephants face a tough challenge from their opening match against Australia, who are targeting the championship and include players from top European clubs, especially a young right-back from Manchester United. Meanwhile, Coach Wang emphasizes that Thailand still aims to reach the quarterfinals.
On 3 Jan 2025 GMT+7, Thailand's U23 national football team is preparing to compete in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia from 6–24 Jan 2026 GMT+7, with “Coach Wang” Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul as head coach, setting the goal to reach the quarterfinals.
Although the final tournament does not fall on FIFA international dates, causing many clubs not to release key players, resulting in Thailand missing several core players from qualifiers and the SEA Games, Coach Wang insists the team is fully committed and views this competition both as a performance opportunity and a foundation for long-term development.
“We have goals every time our players reach the Asian level. Facing teams like Australia, Iraq, or China provides many benefits, especially experience. But we also focus on results, aiming at least to take it step by step and reach the quarterfinals first,” Coach Wang said.
The War Elephants' coach admitted the team has been affected more than expected by the absence of key players but remains confident in the potential of the newly called-up players.
“Initially, we expected to miss only 3–4 players, but about 8 core starters from qualifiers and the SEA Games are out, which impacts us significantly. However, we see many new players with ability, and if they get to experience the Asian level, I believe they will become mainstays of this squad and some might even reach the senior national team,” he added.
Coach Wang also stressed the long-term development approach for the national team, noting that the technical staff collects performance data from every tournament to pass on to future squads and the senior team.
“We try to record all statistics. Players who perform well will have their data passed on to the next generation and the senior team so they can utilize it in the future,” he explained.
Additionally, the absence of some players has opened opportunities for many new players to step up and wear the national team jersey.
“On the positive side, we have more national team players now. Many got opportunities, including from Buriram U21 and some returning players like Theeraphat Prue-thong, who was not named in the SEA Games but is back this time. They are valuable resources for the national team’s future,” Coach Wang said.
Thailand U23 Match Schedule (Group D)
8 Jan 2026 GMT+7: Thailand vs Australia at 18:30, Al Shabab Club Stadium
11 Jan 2026 GMT+7: Thailand vs Iraq at 21:00, Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City Stadium
14 Jan 2026 GMT+7: Thailand vs China at 18:30, Al Shabab Club Stadium
Opponents Update: Australia
Australia’s U23 national team is considered one of the favorites to win this tournament after announcing a 23-player squad led by several Europeans-based players, such as James O’Rourke, a young right-back from Manchester United who has trained with the senior squad, Jade Drew, a forward from Austria’s TSV Hartberg, and Steven Hall, a goalkeeper from Brighton, with a clear goal of winning the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
