Thailand U-23 Squad Heads to Vietnam Tournament
Thailand's revamped U-23 national team, coached by Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, flew to Vietnam on November 9 for a friendly tournament against the hosts, Qatar, and Singapore. The squad features mostly uncapped players from lower-tier Thai leagues who have never trained together. The coach aims to evaluate talent and rotate heavily across three matches in five days, using the tournament as a stepping stone toward the next Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
On November 9 at Don Mueang Airport, Thailand U-23 head coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul led the War Elephants squad to Vietnam for a friendly tournament. The roster is nearly all new faces who have never trained together as a group. Coach Thawatchai said this is the first camp for the new U-23 cycle (born 2005 onward) and called it a good test because many of the call-ups are playing regularly and performing well in Thai League 2, T3, and the U-21 league. He believes everyone is physically fit and plans to rotate the squad heavily due to the tight match schedule. The goal is to see each player's potential and build toward the next Asian Cup qualifiers. The coach added that while Thai players still lag behind some Asian rivals physically, he wants the team to maintain consistency whether at club or national level, and asked fans to support the new generation.
Player Jehanafee Mamah said it is the first national team call-up for many, and the group is trying to gel quickly. The target is to win matches and give everyone playing time. He acknowledged travel as a minor hurdle but expressed confidence the team will overcome it, urging fans to cheer them on.
Thailand U-23 schedule: November 10 vs Vietnam at 19:00, November 12 vs Qatar at 15:00, November 14 vs Singapore at 15:00. All matches at Pleiku Stadium.
