Jakarta: The Thai national futsal team, known as "The War Elephants," is set to compete against Iraq in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship this afternoon. Under the leadership of head coach Rakphol Sainetngam, often referred to as "Coach Bear," the team has conducted their final training session at the Indonesia Arena in preparation for the crucial match.
According to Thai News Agency, the training session, which lasted approximately one hour, focused on refining both offensive and defensive tactics, as well as rehearsing set-piece plays. Ronnachai Choongwongsook, a defender for the team, expressed confidence in their readiness, noting that the team had benefited from two days of rest. He emphasized their strong performance in the first round and their determination to maintain that level of play. Ronnachai highlighted the team's strategy of pressing high up the pitch, intercepting the ball, and aiming for goals. He conveyed confidence in securing a victory and encouraged futsal fans to offer their support.
The Thai team, who were the runners-up in the previous championship and emerged victorious in all three of their group stage matches, topping Group B, will face Iraq, the Group A runners-up, today at 3:00 PM local time at the Indonesia Arena.