Coach Ishii: "Thailand wants to win both matches against Vietnam"

Head coach of the Thai national team, Masatada Ishii, shared about the team's preparation before the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final. Mr. Ishii sent New Year greetings to everyone and expressed the Thai team's determination in the upcoming confrontation with the Vietnamese team.

Mr. Ishii said: “In the upcoming final, we will meet a strong team, Vietnam. In the semi-finals, Thailand lost the first leg against the Philippines, so we hope to win the next two matches.”

HLV Ishii: Thái Lan muốn thắng cả hai trận đấu gặp Việt nam - 1 — Coach Masatada Ishii attended a press conference before the match against the Vietnamese team (Photo: Do Minh Quan).

The Vietnamese team will host the Thai team in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (January 2). In the group stage, Thailand won 4 victories and advanced to the next round as the first team in Group A. Facing the Philippines in the semi-finals, the Thai team surprisingly lost 1-2 in the first leg of the semi-finals, but they won 3-1 in the second leg of the semi-finals after 120 minutes of play, thereby winning 4-3 overall to advance.

Sharing his views on the progress of the Vietnamese team since the friendly match in September, coach Ishii could not make a specific comparison, but he emphasized that the Vietnamese team has made significant progress and has had changes in the squad.

Coach Ishii also pointed out that player Nguyen Xuan Son is one of the most important factors in the current squad of the Vietnamese team. He believes that Xuan Son's presence can make a big difference for the team.

After the intense match with the Philippines, player Suphanat had to be hospitalized, causing concern for fans and the Thai team. Coach Ishii shared about the health of Suphanat and other players in the team. He said: "Not only Suphanat, but also some other players of the Thai team are having injury problems. The Thai coaching staff will work closely to ensure the players are in the best condition for the next two matches."

HLV Ishii: Thái Lan muốn thắng cả hai trận đấu gặp Việt nam - 2 — The Thai team had to play 120 minutes against the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final (Photo: FAT).

After the semi-finals, the Thai team will have to play away in the first leg of the final. Coach Ishii expressed his wish that his team can achieve the best result, even a victory. When asked about how to deal with Xuan Son, Coach Ishii said: "I will not share how to deal with Xuan Son because this is a team secret."

In the past, the confrontations between Vietnam and Thailand have always been considered the super classics of Southeast Asian football. When asked about his feelings before the upcoming important match, coach Ishii said: “I have only led the Thai team for a year, so I don’t have much experience in matches like this. However, we will meet Vietnam in the AFF Cup final. If everyone considers this match a super classic, I hope the atmosphere on the field tomorrow will be explosive and I hope both teams will perform well.”