U22 East Timor vs U22 Thailand, 7:00 PM, December 3rd: Expect a goalfest.
Thailand U22 will face East Timor at 7:00 PM on December 3rd at Rajamangala Stadium; Singapore has been added to Group A after adjustments, and the host nation is aiming for a resounding victory.
At 7:00 PM on December 3rd, at Rajamangala Stadium, the U22 Thailand team will kick off their SEA Games 33 campaign against U22 East Timor. Following a group adjustment, Singapore has been placed in Group A. With home advantage and the anticipated difference in skill level, this is an opportunity for the "Young War Elephants" to aim for a resounding victory and simultaneously test their squad.
Match schedule and TV broadcast
- Match schedule:7:00 PM on December 3, 2025
- Competition venue:Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand
- Tournament:Group stage of the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games.
- Live channel:FP T Play, VTV, HTV
Group stage context: Personnel adjustments, shaping the landscape.
After the Cambodian Olympic Committee withdrew from eight sports, including men's and women's football, the original Group A (Thailand, Timor-Leste, Cambodia) was left with only two teams. The Organizing Committee adjusted the group, moving the Singapore U22 team from Group C to Group A to replace Cambodia.
According to the new plan, the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games will have 9 teams, divided into 3 groups, with 3 teams in each group:
- Table A:Thailand, Timor-Leste, Singapore
- Group B:Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos
- Table C:Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines
As the host nation, the U22 Thailand team holds several advantages. Singapore and East Timor are considered the two weakest opponents in this year's tournament. Therefore, the opening match against East Timor serves as a suitable test for Thailand to both achieve a good result and assess their squad.
Expert perspective: Home advantage and attacking tempo.
The U22 Thailand team is expected to dominate the game thanks to their squad quality and familiarity with the pitch. Based on this foundation, the "Little War Elephants" can play at a high tempo to create many opportunities, aligning with expectations of a high-scoring match.
Conversely, East Timorese football has shown signs of progress recently, but mainly at the national team level. The fact that the U22 East Timor team did not participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and also failed to qualify for the 2026 Asian U23 Championship shows that the young players still lack competitive experience.
Thailand has high ambitions at this tournament. The last time the Thai men's football team won a gold medal was at the 29th SEA Games in Malaysia; at the 32nd SEA Games, they lost to Indonesia in the final. The determination to change the color of their medal is therefore a clear motivation for the host team right from the opening match.
Predicted lineup
| U22 Timor Leste | U22 Thailand |
|---|---|
| Filonito, Danilo, Rivaldo, Bianco, Cristevão, Pedro, Revelino, Edencio, Kefi, Mario, Gali | Chomphat Boonlert, Phattharaphon Saksakit, Phon Ek Maneekorn, Attapol Saengthong, Chanaphat Buaphan, Chaiphon Adton, Sittha Bunla, Yotkorn, Thanakrit Chotmuangpak, Seksan Ratree, Yotkorn Burapha |
Notable information
- The U22 East Timor team will not participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.
- The U22 East Timor team failed to qualify for the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.
- Thailand's most recent gold medal was won at the 29th SEA Games (against Malaysia), but they lost to Indonesia in the final of the 32nd SEA Games; therefore, they have set high goals for the 33rd SEA Games.
