Coach Polking: 'The World Cup goal is not beyond Thailand's reach'

Last night, Thailand played the final of the friendly tournament at home - King's Cup 2023 - against Iraq. In the official 90 minutes, the away team took the lead twice thanks to Aymen Hussein and Amjed Attwan, but Nicholas Mickelson and Bordin Phala helped Thailand equalize 2-2. Coach Mano Polking's team could have gone upstream if Teerasil Dangda succeeded in the 80th minute penalty kick. In the subsequent penalty shootout, Thailand lost 4-5.

According to Coach Polking, Thailand controlled the ball better and created many opportunities. He said he forced Iraq to change the system three times and the players were just unlucky when they lost in the penalty shootout. "We can compete at this level," Mr. Polking said. "Thailand has proven how well it can play against the seventh-ranked team in Asia. The goal of attending the World Cup is not beyond our reach."

Iraq coach Jesus Garcia affirmed his determination to win the championship and was surprised with Thailand's performance. "I don't think they improved the gameplay that well," he said. "Thailand possesses many talents who can play at a high level, and has good coaches to aim for good results."

Iraq ranked 70th in FIFA, 43 places higher than Thailand. In Asia, Iraq ranked seventh, and Thailand ranked 21st. The 2026 World Cup qualifying round increased from 32 to 48 teams with eight official spots and one play-off spot for Asia. Like Vietnam, Thailand also wants to take advantage of the opportunity to appear at the World Cup for the first time.

Before losing to Iraq, Thailand beat Lebanon 2-1 in the King's Cup semi-finals. The tournament, including host Thailand and three invited teams, has been organized since 1968 and is part of FIFA's scoring system. Thailand has not won the championship since 2017. Vietnam was invited to participate twice, finishing second in 2006 and 2019.

After losing the King's Cup, a part of Thai public opinion wanted to replace the head coach, but team leader Nualphan Lamsam and captain Theerathon Bunmathan both spoke out in support of the Brazilian coach. "We win together, we lose together," Bunmathan wrote on his personal page on Facebook. "Coach Polking doesn't have to be sad. Raise your head, fight again and don't be weak."

Coach Polking has led Thailand since mid-2020, won the AFF Cup 2021 and 2022, and won tickets to the 2023 Asian Cup. At the U23 level, he won the silver medal at SEA Games 31 after losing 0-1 to Vietnam. According to the current contract, Polking will stay with Thailand until February 2024, immediately after the Asian Cup in Qatar.