Billionaire Madam Pang makes gesture towards Vietnam naturalized striker after Thailand's defeat

By Hoang Nguyen January 2, 2025 | 09:08 pm PT

Following Thailand's 1-2 defeat to Vietnam in the ASEAN Cup final first leg, billionaire and president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) Nualphan Lamsam made a surprising gesture towards naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son.

Madam Pang during a press conference in Hanoi on Jan. 13, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

Brazilian-born striker Son delivered a standout performance at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province on Thursday, scoring both goals for Vietnam and constantly putting pressure on Thailand's defense. This performance earned him a Sofascore rating of 9.0, the highest in the match.

After witnessing Son's greatness, Thai Facebook page Krian Sing Tha Ruea with over 90,000 followers wrote: "If Madam Pang were still the president of Port FC, I would urge her to buy him immediately. The team still need another Southeast Asian player at the moment. Unfortunately, all we can do now is sit and dream while watching other teams strengthen their squads. I don't know when the current president will recruit a striker as good as him."

Surprisingly, Lamsam, famously known as Madam Pang, shared this post on her Facebook page after the match and wrote:

"Unfortunately, I'm no longer the president there. If I were, I would definitely bring him in."

A screenshot of Madam Pang's post about Vietnam naturalized striker on Facebook

Her post quickly gained traction, garnering over 1,800 likes and nearly 300 comments within an hour.

"He is a complete striker with excellent finishing, aerial ability and ball control. In Southeast Asia right now, it's rare to find a defender who can handle him one-on-one," user Aex Thainana commented.

Another user, Kob Chusrichome, added: "Xuan Son's class was evident in the match. In the return leg in Thailand, our defenders will need to be very cautious."

The second leg of the final will take place at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Jan. 5. Thai media and fans remain optimistic that their team, backed by their home crowd, can overturn the deficit and secure third consecutive AFF Cup title.

Before the game, Madam Pang expressed her confidence in the team.

"I look forward to the match on Jan. 5. Let's meet at Rajamangala! I hope everyone returns safely from Vietnam. I also hope the team rest well and their spirit lifted. All of Thai people believe that you will come back stronger," she wrote on Facebook.

Nualphan Lamsan, 57, is a businesswoman, politician and a scion of one of Thailand's wealthiest families. She was the leader of Thailand national football team before becoming FAT president earlier this year.