Coach Man Visits Captain Mac After On-Field Collapse

At 5:00 p.m. on October 26 at Rajapruk Hospital in Khon Kaen, Thana "Coach Man" Chanabut, head coach of Muang Loei United, visited Wasusit "Captain Mac" Phusirith, captain of Khon Kaen United. He brought a gift basket and offered encouragement, and the two talked in a relaxed atmosphere, including about the on-field incident, with no tension.

Phusirith explained that at the moment of impact he saw a Muang Loei player about to clear the ball. He was focused solely on the ball and moving in to play it, not looking at the opponent, before the collision occurred. He viewed it as a 50-50 challenge — a genuine football accident.

"I've had CT and X-ray scans. Doctors confirmed no fractures to the cervical spine and no brain hemorrhage. The X-ray shows a small fracture at the tip of the nose, which likely stems from an earlier injury in the midweek cup match. Whether the club pursues a complaint about the referee's performance is up to the club to decide," Phusirith said.

He added that he was grateful for all the support and concern, that his condition had improved, and he hoped to return to training soon. Though doctors advised rest, he felt ready to fight and play again.

For his part, Chanabut said he came to cheer up Captain Mac and was relieved to hear he was recovering. After the match, the Muang Loei player involved had messaged him to apologise and asked him to pass that apology on. Reviewing the slow-motion footage, Chanabut saw an incident no one wanted, but a football moment nonetheless. He believed neither the injured player nor the one who made the challenge harboured any ill will; footballers know the difference between in-game and out-of-game challenges, and between intentional and accidental contact.

"The referee's response may have been a little slow. If the game had been stopped immediately, the situation might not have escalated. I want to stress the importance of stopping play in risky moments to protect player safety. If a footballer collapses after a collision and remains motionless or unresponsive for 15–20 seconds, the match should be halted for a medical check. In this case play continued for nearly another minute with several more phases," Chanabut said.

He acknowledged that during a match both teams fight hard for victory, but stopping play is the referee's discretion. If a player lies still abnormally long, the referee should stop the game to assess the condition and prioritise safety. Nevertheless, once the 90 minutes are up, everyone goes back to being friends, brothers and sisters again.