Thailand suddenly afraid of losing to an opponent 48 places lower at King's Cup

According to Siamsport, it would be a huge mistake for Thai fans to assume that their team will enter the final of the King's Cup against Iraq, while ignoring the match against Fiji beforehand.

The Thai team can still lose to opponents of many levels lower.

"As we have seen recently, Manchester United, a big team in the Premier League, lost to their fourth-division opponent Grimsby Town in a cup tournament. Therefore, it is entirely possible that a team like Thailand could stumble against a lower-division opponent. Taking it for granted that we will enter the King's Cup final against Iraq can easily lead to many bad consequences, and could even be a huge mistake," Siamsport said.

The Thai team lost the AFF Cup championship to the Vietnamese team earlier this year.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

The Thai national team is set to play the 51st King's Cup at home in Kanchanaburi province during the September FIFA Days.

According to the match schedule announced by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), the "War Elephants" will play against Fiji (ranked 150th in the world , 48 places below Thailand on the FIFA rankings) on September 4. If they win, they will enter the final against Iraq (ranked 58th in the world) or Hong Kong (ranked 147th in the world) on September 7 to compete for the championship. All matches at this year's King's Cup will be held in Kanchanaburi province (Thailand).

Public opinion in Thailand currently almost sees the home team entering the final to compete for the championship with the Iraqi team, because they underestimate the Fiji team, which has a young squad and comes from the Oceania region, and there is nothing to worry about.

"Remember, Fiji are not an inexperienced team. They have surprised everyone by finishing third at the Oceania Cup of Nations twice, in 1998 and 2008. Although they have not qualified for the World Cup, their development has been remarkable.

Fiji are undergoing a "major squad overhaul" to prepare for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. They are not only focusing on current results but also building for the future by recruiting some talented young players," Siamsport assessed.

"Fiji currently have six players in the U.20 group who are very well invested. The key to this team is Weleni Razoreva, a 17-year-old player who made a name for himself by leading Fiji to the 2025 U.17 World Cup finals in Qatar. He is a young player who is at the perfect time for this team, and he is full of potential. This will certainly cause some big problems for Thailand's defense," Siamsport emphasized.

Thailand must win the King's Cup, otherwise coach Masatada Ishii faces the risk of being fired.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

This newspaper also commented: "The Thai team has the best players at the moment, but if they are subjective, they could pay a heavy price against the young and energetic Fiji team.

Furthermore, the match against Fiji will put a lot of pressure on coach Masatada Ishii and his team, because this is a match that they must win and must win convincingly, after the shock of losing 1-3 to Turkmenistan in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, facing the possibility of losing their ticket to the final round.

FAT President, Madam Pang (billionaire Nualphan Lamsam), also demanded that the home team win the King's Cup to regain the trust of fans, after a series of recent failures of Thai football in all arenas. Therefore, coach Masatada Ishii and his team will have to be very serious against Fiji, then think about Iraq or Hong Kong in the final match."

"The Thai team must prove their strength with convincing play. They must show that they are still at a high level. It is time to show everyone that the Thai team is the champion. But if they make mistakes and lose, the price they have to pay will be very high," Siamsport reminded the home team.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thai-lan-bong-dung-so-thua-doi-thu-kem-den-48-bac-tai-kings-cup-185250901110916093.htm