What did the Thai coach say when unexpectedly close to qualifying for the Asian Cup finals?

Coach Masatada Ishii showed his contentment when Thailand’s national team revived their chances of reaching the Asian Cup finals after a 2-0 win over Taiwan.

Although facing some challenges, Thailand secured all 3 points against Taiwan in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. With Turkmenistan’s surprising loss to Sri Lanka, Thailand now shares 6 points with both teams and is in a strong position to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

After the match, Coach Masatada Ishii shared his satisfaction with his players' performance: "I admire the players who gave their all for the full 90 minutes, constantly striving to intercept the ball even on the opponent’s field. What Thailand needs to improve is scoring more goals than before to secure a points advantage over other teams in the group.

I am still considering personnel issues, as some players like Jonathan, Abhisit, and Charoensak Wongkon are injured. However, the important thing is that Thailand earned 3 crucial points today. We will carefully assess the injuries and consider bringing in substitute players."

The head coach of Taiwan’s team stated that despite facing many disadvantages, they gave their best effort during the match. The squad had many injured players and only six days of brief training. He added that this team represents a new generation that still needs more experience. Thailand attacked well, while Taiwan tried hard to defend.

When asked why the team continued using a five-defender formation despite trailing Thailand, he explained that Taiwan’s style is defensive, with young players gaining experience. Moreover, lacking quality forwards forced them to adopt a five-defender system.

The situation in Group D remains unpredictable as Thailand is third but shares 6 points with Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka. Naturally, Thailand holds a significant advantage, facing the weaker Taiwan again in the return match before a decisive game against Turkmenistan in the final round.