Thai star makes history in Europe

Last night, Oud-Heverlee Leuven won 3-0 against Eupen in the 20th round of the Belgian national championship. Notably, Suphanat Mueanta contributed a goal for Leuven in this match with a goal in the 89th minute.

Suphanat Mueanta celebrates a goal in a Leuven shirt (Photo: Getty).

With this goal, the Thai star made history. He became the first player from the Land of the Golden Pagodas to score in the top flight of Belgian football. At the same time, Suphanat Mueanta is also the first star from Southeast Asia to score in a tournament in the top 10 European national championships (according to UEFA's points coefficient).

The match against Eupen was Suphanat Mueanta's fifth appearance for Leuven this season. The striker came off the bench in all of them. In total, the player born in 2002 has played 86 minutes for Leuven since the beginning of the season.

"Opening the fire" in the match against Eupen will help Suphanat Mueanta be confident in the road ahead. He is trying hard to compete for an official position in the Leuven shirt.

Previously, Vietnam's Cong Phuong played in Belgium for the St Truidense Club. However, the Vietnamese striker only played one match and did not contribute any goals.

Suphanat Mueanta celebrates victory with teammates after the match (Photo: Getty).

Quang Hai scored once for Pau FC this season. However, that was only in the second division of France. Most Southeast Asian players who have played in Europe before have not been successful.

Suphanat Mueanta was once considered a football prodigy in Thailand. He holds many records as the youngest player to play and score in the Thai national championship, the youngest player to play for the Thai national team. At the same time, he is also the youngest player to play in an AFC Champions League match when playing for Buriram United.

However, Suphanat Mueanta's career has slowed down in recent years. In the summer of 2023, the player born in 2002 moved to Leuven on loan with an option to buy.

If he plays successfully in Belgium, Suphanat Mueanta has the opportunity to move to Leicester City in the future. At this time, the Thai striker is not eligible to apply for a work permit in England. Therefore, he needs to gain experience by playing in other national championships in Europe.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ngoi-sao-thai-lan-lam-nen-lich-su-o-chau-au-20231227124051117.htm