Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul praised two key aspects after the Thailand U23 national team narrowly defeated Vietnam, while also revealing regrets at the CFA Team China 2026 tournament.
On 28 March 2026, Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, head coach of the Thailand U23 national team, spoke openly after his team edged the Vietnam U23 team 1-0, with Thanakrit Chotmuangpak scoring the decisive goal in the second match of the CFA Team China International Youth Tournament in Xi'an.
Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul said, "It was a good game facing a strong ASEAN team like Vietnam. I commend the players for managing their emotions well and staying focused throughout the match, despite pressure from the opponents. I regret that although the team created many chances in both halves, we failed to convert them. In the first half, the pace of play was perhaps too fast, leading to some frequent turnovers."
"In this match, we made eight substitutions from the starting eleven who played against China to preserve the players' physical condition and prevent injuries during this continuous competition. The players given the opportunity to play showed good potential. Our next goal is to assess the players' physical readiness to prepare for the upcoming match against North Korea."
The next fixture for Thailand U23 in the CFA Team China International Youth Tournament in Xi'an is against North Korea U23 at Fengdong Football Park East Stadium, People's Republic of China, on 31 March 2026 at 14:00 Thailand time. The match will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32, Thairath TV website, Facebook: Thairath TV, Facebook: Thairath Sport, and YouTube: Thairath Sport.