bully168 Thai futsal has received continued encouragement from Maj. Gen. Nat Sri-in, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Region, Ms. Thidarat Rod-anan, President of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Industrial Council, and futsal fans nationwide. This has fueled their spirit, leading to three straight victories and a guaranteed ticket to the 2024 ASEAN semi-finals. Team manager Suthin “Big Tin” Buatum stated that while they have qualified, they must continue their efforts. They aim to finish first in their group and must collect three points in every match. Meanwhile, Thai coach Miguel Rodrigo expressed his admiration for Coach Mee, who has made Malaysia a much more formidable opponent. Coach Mee reiterated that Malaysia is eliminated, but he will continue to give his all in the final match. He expressed his support for the new-gen Thai team in their bid to win the ASEAN championship. bully168

After the 18th ASEAN Futsal Championship 2024 at Terminal Hall, Terminal 21 Korat Shopping Center, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, where the new generation of Thai futsal won 3-1 over Malaysia, they are guaranteed a place in the semi-finals, even though they still have one more game to play against Vietnam for the group championship on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. 

Suthin “Big Tin” Buatum, manager of the Thai futsal team, said, “I’m satisfied with this match. It met our target. We’ve collected three points in every match, and we want to win every match to be number one in our group. We made some defensive mistakes in this match, but our players showed determination and fighting spirit, which helped us come back. I’d like to thank the fans from Korat, the host country, and the Thai fans, including Maj. Gen. Nat Sri-in, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Region, Ms. Thidarat Rod-anan, President of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Industrial Council, and Ms. Atcha Lee-angkoon, from Plookpanya Nakhon Ratchasima School, who came to cheer and support the new generation of Thai national futsal teams in this tournament.”

Miguel Rodrigo, the Thai national team coach, revealed, “First of all, I would like to congratulate Coach Mee for bringing the Malaysian team to this level. They fought us very closely. In the first 10 minutes of each half, they were better than us, but we also did well in the second 10 minutes.”

“We played well in the second half, and I really like this type of game because our players are under pressure to improve. I really have to commend Coach Mee for making this game so fun. I felt like I was playing against a team of my own level, and I felt like I was playing against my friends, because Coach Mee and I are very close.”

“Tomorrow’s game against Vietnam will be different and more difficult because Vietnam is a top team in Asia. We will do our best to qualify as group winners.”

“Coach Mee” Rakphol Sainetngam, the Thai coach of the Malaysian national team, said, “I’m delighted with the boys’ performance and I’m very proud of this team. Even though we lost, we showed we can compete. However, we may still face the same problem of lacking a finishing player, as we only have one striker. Going back this time, we’ll have to be more serious about developing futsal and need to find another striker. Even though we’ve been eliminated, I’m still rooting for the Thai team. I want to see them advance to the next round and become champions. This young Thai team is very talented, and Miguel should be able to continue his development.”

The final match of the 2024 Futsal ASEAN group stage will be played on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Terminal Hall, Terminal 21 Korat Shopping Center, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The first match is at 10:30 a.m., Group B: Australia vs. Cambodia; the second match is at 1:00 p.m., Group B: Indonesia vs. Myanmar; the third match is at 3:30 p.m., Group A: Timor-Leste vs. Malaysia; and the final match is at 6:00 p.m., Group A: 1st place match: Thailand vs. Vietnam. All matches will be broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook – Changsuek and Futsal Thailand. ( bully168 )