History beckons for Thai futsal players

History beckons for Thai futsal players

Thailand coach Miguel Rodrigo.
Thailand coach Miguel Rodrigo.

Thailand coach Muguel Rodrigo is confident that his men are capable of upsetting Azerbaijan in the last-16 round of the Fifa Futsal World Cup in Colombia tomorrow.

Thailand could now pen a new chapter in their history when they face Azerbaijan in Medellin at 5.30am tomorrow morning (Thai time), having performed so well in the city.

If the Thais reach the quarter-finals, it would be their best ever result at the tournament having been eliminated in the last-16 stage when the event was staged on their home soil four years ago.

"This World Cup can't be just another World Cup," said Rodrigo who was appointed coach of Thailand just two months before Colombia 2016.

"We have to do something special. I want to instil in the players' heads my conviction that everything is possible."

The Spaniard added: "I want to create an emotional bond between the players to serve a bigger cause. You have to play for yourself, but above all you have to play for others. There are so many people who believe in them and whose dreams depend on them.

"Azerbaijan are ranked 10th while Thailand are 12th in the world rankings. So we have to fight for a victory."

Thai player Jirawat Sornwichien received bad news yesterday when his brother was killed in a car accident in Nonthaburi.

"I feel sad but I will stay focused on the match and won't let this distract me. I can't do anything at the moment," he said.

Rodrigo said: "We will fight for Jirawat's brother and also for all the Thai people by beating Azerbaijan."

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT