Thailand U23 coach praises opponent Indonesia as "the strongest in the region"

(NLDO) - Before the semi-final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the coach of Thailand U23 unexpectedly praised his opponent, Indonesia U23, pointing out that they are the strongest team in the region.

Ahead of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 semi-finals, Thailand U23 coach Thawatchai Dumrong-ongtrakul gave special praise to Indonesia U23, calling them "one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia at the moment".

"Indonesia has always been Thailand's arch-rival. The upcoming match will definitely be very difficult," Mr. Thawatchai shared at a press conference before the match.

Thailand U23 coach praises opponent Indonesia before semi-final match

The strategist admitted that U23 Thailand has not reached its peak performance despite being at the top of the group. "We still have a lot to improve. Hopefully in the semi-final, the whole team will be at their best physically and mentally," the Thai coach said.

U23 Thailand also affirmed that they came to the tournament with the goal of winning the championship. According to coach Thawatchai, playing under the pressure of tens of thousands of Indonesian fans will help the young players mature in the future.

Midfielder Seksan Ratri also shared: "We are happy to be in the semi-finals but our performance is still not really stable. Hopefully the semi-final will be our best performance."

The semi-final match between U23 Thailand and U23 Indonesia will take place at 8pm on July 25. The remaining semi-final match, U23 Vietnam vs U23 Philippines, also promises to bring a dream final match between Vietnam and the winner of the Thailand - Indonesia match.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/hlv-u23-thai-lan-tang-boc-doi-thu-indonesia-manh-hang-dau-khu-vuc-196250724162837547.htm