The Thai coach does not want to share the Vietnamese group

The drawing ceremony to divide the table for men's football at the SEA Games 32 will take place on the afternoon of April 5. Host Cambodia has not announced the rules of the draw, but based on the performance at the 31st SEA Games, it is likely that the host and defending champion Vietnam will be in the first seed group, while Thailand and Malaysia are in the second group. .

Standing between two options, coach Sritaro said he would rather share Cambodia than Vietnam. Not because of fear of the strength of these two opponents, but because of further calculations. "Honestly, I want to meet Cambodia in the group stage," coach Issara Sritaro told Matichon newspaper. "It will not be in Thailand's interest to meet Cambodia in the semi-finals."

Coach Sritaro led Thailand U23 to the fourth place in the Doha Cup 2023, including a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 victory over Qatar. Impressive performances with highly-rated players turned Thailand into a top candidate for the gold medal. Former striker Worrawoot Srimaka even said that Thailand U22 has no opponent at the 32nd SEA Games.

Coach Sritaro revealed he was a bit worried about the referee, so he asked a member of the Thai League Referee Board to help the player better understand the rules. "We have to prepare because there will always be problems with the referee when playing abroad," said the Thailand U22 head coach.

Vice President of the Football Federation of Thailand (FAT) Yuttana Yimkarun wants the U22 team to be careful with their opponents in the SEA Games. FAT also actively prepares transportation and food to suit the player's taste due to concerns that the Cambodian host cannot meet the requirements.

The last time Thailand won a gold medal at the SEA Games was in Malaysia in 2017. In the last two times, Vietnam won a double gold medal in both men's and women's football. FAT aims to overthrow Vietnam to win the top position in both content.