Thailand U22 hardly has the strongest squad in SEA Games

The 32nd SEA Games men's football will take place from April 29 to May 16, while the Thai League 1 to May 12 has just closed the curtain. Due to the mismatch of FIFA Days, Thai clubs are not required to release troops on this occasion.

According to Siam Sport, the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and the Thai League organizers have a policy of giving more priority to Asian tournaments and above. Clubs will support the U23 team more when FAT needs to call up players to compete in the Asian U23 qualifiers or the Olympic qualifiers.

Therefore, in order to have troops to attend the upcoming SEA Games, FAT is negotiating with each club to ask for release.

The Thai U22 training board also prepared for a difficult scenario to call this person to Cambodia to play. Coach Issara Sritaro summons players in three options: sure to attend, can attend and difficult to attend. "We expect to have seven to eight players from the starting XI who have just played in the 2023 Doha Cup," coach Issara told Thairath. "Also, the team will have between three and four regular substitutes."

Thailand hopes to call pillars like defenders Chatmongkol Rueangthanarot, Jonathan Khemdee, midfielders Airfan Doloh, Channarong Promsrikaew or striker Teerasak Poeiphimai to the SEA Games list. However, the number one star Suphanat Mueanta - the striker currently plays for Buriram United - has a 99% chance of being absent. "Suphanat will go to Europe to practice after Thai League 1 ends," Thailand U22 coach explained.

However, Thailand's U22 coach said he had talked with Buriram's president Newin Chidchob, in the hope that the club would create conditions for Suphanat to return to play for the team from the SEA Games semi-finals. Coach Issara also called for support from clubs because it took many years for Thailand to have a quality U23 generation, since the birth in 1990 of Theerathon Bunmathan and then in 1993 of Chanathip Songkrasin.

U22 teams attending the 32nd SEA Games are expected to register a list of up to 20 official players. Thailand aims to win the 32nd SEA Games gold medal after two years of seeing Vietnam take the throne. In Cambodia, Thailand in Group B met Singapore on April 30, Malaysia on May 6, Laos on May 8 and Vietnam on May 11.