Coach Wang Eyes China Clash After Japan Loss

Coach Thawatchai Damrong-ong, head coach of Thailand's men's national football team, gave a post-match interview following Thailand's 0-3 loss to Japan in the final Group A game of the 2026 Asian Games. Thailand finished as runners-up in the group and will advance to the quarter-finals to face China, who topped Group B.

"Today was a good match to face Japan early in the tournament," Coach Wang said. "They played quality football and we must praise the players for their high level of resilience. We knew we would advance as runners-up, but Japan's attacking play made it difficult to shut them down."

Regarding the upcoming quarter-final against China, the coach explained: "We've faced China several times this year. They are a well-developed team that also won the runners-up position at the Asian Championship. We have already played them before. Because of this, we made player rotations in today's match to ensure our squad is at full strength for the next game against China. Their players are highly capable and have trained together for a long time, which gives them strong teamwork. Facing China won't be an easy task for us, so we will need careful planning."

The coach also addressed player development: "Our goal is to develop these players to reach the senior national team eventually. Some have progressed faster than expected, and we have replacement players who have gained valuable tournament experience."

Thailand's next match will be against China in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Games on September 26, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. Thailand time at Toyota Stadium in Aichi, Japan. The match will be broadcast live on Thai PBS Channel 32 and the AIS PLAY application.