Thailand U23 fears a repeat of their nightmare defeat against Vietnam at the Asian tournament.
Thai media outlets are warning about the lack of personnel and competitive spirit in the U23 Thai team ahead of the continental tournament, recalling painful memories from the 33rd SEA Games.
Ahead of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, Thai media are expressing deep concern about their team's competitiveness. Siamsports newspaper suggests that the "War Elephants" risk repeating a similar failure to the SEA Games 33 due to a severe shortage of personnel and inconsistent performance.
The haunting memory of the defeat against Vietnam U22
The memory of the SEA Games 33 final remains an unhealed wound for Thai football. Despite leading Vietnam U22 2-0, Thailand suffered a bitter 2-3 defeat on home soil. A lack of concentration and poor ability to handle pressure in the second half are considered the "Achilles' heel" that coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul needs to address if he doesn't want this scenario to repeat itself at the continental tournament.
The force is severely depleted.
Besides psychological factors, the U23 Thailand team also faces a difficult personnel problem. The list of 23 players traveling to Saudi Arabia is missing a number of key players such as Yotsakorn Burapha, Kakhon Kamyok, and Chanaphat Buaphan. The main reason stems from the fact that clubs in the Thai League are adamantly refusing to release them, forcing coach Thawatchai to travel with a makeshift squad.
The ultimate challenge in the group of death.
The difficulties are compounded by the fact that the Thai U23 team is in a group with Iraq, China, and Australia. In their opening match, they will face the Australian U23 team – an opponent boasting many talented young players currently playing in Europe. Although this tournament doesn't determine Olympic qualification, the results will directly impact Thailand's future seeding status.
Public skepticism is putting immense pressure on the young players. This is the time when the identity and resilience of Thai football need to be clearly demonstrated to dispel the haunting memory of defeats against regional rivals like Vietnam.
