Vietnam deserve ASEAN Cup title: Thailand head coach

Coach Masatada Ishii at the press conference after Thailand lost 2-3 to Vietnam in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok on Jan. 5, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

"Congratulations to Vietnam. They played better and deserved to win the title," Ishii said in the post-match press conference on Sunday night. "We made defensive mistakes that turned the game against us."

Ishii admitted that Thailand wanted to defend the ASEAN Cup title and expressed regret when the goal was not reached. However, he did not view the defeat as something awful and affirmed that he would continue working

"This was a transitional period for Thai football to aim for the next tournaments," he added.

Backed by over 43,000 fans at Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand started the second leg with high expectations but quickly conceded. In the 8th minute, striker Pham Tuan Hai flicked the ball over goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai, giving the visitors an early lead. Thailand leveled in the 28th minute when Ben Davis capitalized on a mistake by Doan Ngoc Tan, scoring a long-range goal.

The hosts gained further hope in the 32nd minute when Vietnam’s star striker Nguyen Xuan Son suffered a severe leg injury and had to be subbed out.

In the second half, Supachok Sarachat’s controversial long-range strike put Thailand ahead 2-1, but the game’s turning point was when Weerathep Pomphan received a second yellow card in the 74th minute, leaving the hosts with 10 men.

Vietnam capitalized on the advantage with Tuan Hai forcing an own goal from Pansa Hemviboon in the 82nd minute, equalizing 2-2.

In injury time, goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai joined Thailand’s attack during a corner kick and left the net unguarded. Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Long seized the opportunity, scoring from midfield to secure a 3-2 victory (5-3 on aggregate).

Coach Ishii refrained from commenting the controversial second goal, calling it a "beautiful strike". He praised the team’s effort but acknowledged lapses in the defense when the center-backs conceded easily in some situations.

According to the Japanese coach, Thailand need to forget this defeat and soon shift their focus on the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Thailand are in group D with Turkmenistan, Taiwan and Sri Lanka, and will play six matches between March 2025 and March 2026.