Coach Ishii expressed special pride, Uzbekistan coach was amazed at the Thai team

Contrary to experts' predictions, the Thai team did not play too poorly against Uzbekistan. Despite allowing their opponents to score first, the "War Elephants" calmly held the ball and played with confidence. Substitute Supachok Sarachat brought home a beautiful equalizer in the 58th minute. However, Abbosbek Fayzullaev's moment of brilliance in the 65th minute stopped the last representative of Southeast Asia at the 2023 Asian Cup.

Immediately after the final whistle, coach Masatada Ishii did not show any disappointment. He smiled and went to shake hands with his colleague Srecko Katanec. The Japanese coach then hugged each player of the Thai team.

The “War Elephants” formed a circle and held an “urgent meeting” right on the field to listen to the words of coach Masatada Ishii. Thai Rath quoted the Japanese strategist’s message: “Thank you for always trying hard on the field. We must continue to do well. This match is over and we are the losers.

Throughout the 2023 Asian Cup, everyone has given their 100% effort. Let's try to do better in the next tournaments. I'm optimistic, we still have the immediate goal of going to the 2026 World Cup. Thank you everyone. You make me proud."

Thai national team players thank fans and meet on the field with coach Masatada Ishii

Entering the press conference room, coach Masatada Ishii also politely bowed to the media. He shared: “We were eliminated from the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup. I feel sorry for this result as we could not go any further. Uzbekistan played a football style that is far different from ours. That is why today the Thai team faced more difficulties. Matches like this will be a lesson for the whole team.

Thank you to the Thai fans who came to cheer us on in person at the stadium, as well as the fans back home. We apologize for not being able to win the match. But I believe the whole team played with determination and effort throughout the tournament. The players followed the tactics, but there were times when the opponents played better than the Thai team. Uzbekistan is in the quarter-finals, which is also a worthy result for their efforts.

From this match, there are things we have to improve. Not only the Thai team, the Thai League but also the Football Association of Thailand. We must continuously strive to develop in all aspects. For the Thai team, the upcoming tournaments are very important, the most notable being the 2026 World Cup qualifiers."

Coach Masatada Ishii said the 2026 World Cup qualifiers are the most important goal of the Thai team.

As for coach Srecko Katanec, he was surprised by the strength of the Thai team. The Slovenian coach praised his opponents' performance: "Before the tournament started, I said that the Uzbekistan players would get stronger with each match. However, the Thai team surprised us because they played so resiliently. They were one of the toughest challenges Uzbekistan had faced since the beginning of the tournament.

The Thai team proved that it was no coincidence that they passed the group stage without conceding a goal. The team's defense was well organized, the players played scientifically and disciplined. Fortunately, our strikers played excellently, taking advantage of 2 opportunities to score. I am very happy that the Uzbekistan team is in the quarterfinals."

Coach Srecko Katanec has special respect for the defense of the Thai team.

After defeating Thailand, Uzbekistan will face the host Qatar in the quarter-finals. The match will take place at 10:30 p.m. on February 3 at Al Bayt Stadium. Despite the defeat, coach Masatada Ishii and his players still received great praise from home fans for their positive performances.

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