Bangkok: Coach Wang has taken full responsibility and issued an apology to Thai football fans after the national team fell short of securing a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, following their defeat against Vietnam on home soil.
According to Thai News Agency, Thawatchai Damrong-ongtrakul, popularly known as Coach Wang, acknowledged the team's shortcomings in a post-match interview after their silver medal finish in the men's football competition. "I must apologize to all the fans and the management because our goal was to win the championship, but we missed that target," stated Coach Wang. He expressed gratitude towards clubs for their cooperation in releasing players for national duty and emphasized that any tactical shortcomings were his responsibility, while praising the players for their efforts.
Coach Wang elaborated on the challenges faced during the game, noting a loss of momentum due to key injuries and an early goal by Vietnam. "We lost Chanaphat Buaphan in the first half, and then conceded an early goal in the second half, which shifted the momentum," he explained. Despite these setbacks, he commended the players for their resilience and determination, highlighting their ability to push the game into extra time.
Expressing his disappointment, Coach Wang addressed the fans directly. "I want to apologize to the fans for not being able to achieve the goals we set today. Everyone had one goal: to be champions, but this time we couldn't," he said, committing to take responsibility for future outcomes. He noted the physical strain on the players due to their commitments to both clubs and the national team but lauded their fighting spirit.
Coach Wang further analyzed the turning points in the match, such as conceding a penalty that momentarily leveled the playing field but ultimately saw Vietnam regain control. He concluded, "Ideally, we wanted to finish within 90 minutes because I knew that if we had to play out that match, Vietnam would be in better physical condition."