Thai U-15s Crush Japan 4-0 in Azerbaijan Playoff

In the 77th-place playoff of the 8-a-side FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 at the Hofsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, Thailand's under-15 boys' national team took on their Japanese counterparts. Thailand had regained form by beating Malawi in their previous game, while Japan had overcome Rwanda. For this match, head coach 'Bom' Kanthaphol Leelammasukul, who heads the FIFA TDS project, made minor adjustments: captain Panchakorn Sangchuay marshaled the back line, with Apiwich Onlamun and Phurinat Manirat deployed up front.

In the 2nd minute, Thailand had an early chance to take the lead when Phurinat Manirat fed Rachchanon Muangma, whose left-footed shot from inside the box curled just wide of the post. At the 16th minute, Phakin Tangsirikul tried his luck from distance with a right-footed strike from midfield that rattled the crossbar. Thailand broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Ratthanont Anankul played a through ball to Thinaphop Thadto, who took a touch before curling a left-footed finish into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 at halftime.

Early in the second half, Thailand doubled their advantage in the 21st minute from a corner. Phakin Tangsirikul delivered into the box where Apiwich Onlamun sprinted to the near post to head home for 2-0. In the 36th minute, Ratthanont Anankul collected the ball inside the penalty area and fired a right-footed shot into the net for 3-0. Just before the final whistle in the 39th minute, Ratthanont Anankul weaved past Japanese defenders and smashed a left-footed strike from outside the box that deflected off the post and in to seal a 4-0 victory. The result placed Thailand 77th overall in the tournament.

The Thailand under-15 squad will now return home immediately, with arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport scheduled for November 1, 2026, around 1:00 PM.