Thailand striker Adisak Kraisorn will be trying to redeem himself by scoring against Malaysia in this week's AFF Suzuki Cup two-legged final.
Thailand's Adisak Kraisorn scores against Malaysia.
The first leg of the Asean championship decider will be played at Bangkok's Rajamangala National Stadium on Wednesday and the second leg in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
"I scored against Malaysia in the group stage and want to do it again to return happiness to the Thai fans,'' said Adisak.
Adisak came off the bench to score two goals, including the winner in injury time, in Thailand's 3-2 win against the Malaysians in the group stage in Singapore.
He was suspended in Thailand's 3-0 win against the Philippines in the semi-final second leg in Bangkok after he was sent off in a scoreless draw in the first leg in Manila.
"I am glad that my teammates did very well to send our team to the final. Malaysia are one of the strongest teams in Asean and I will try to score against them to help our team win the title,'' Adisak said.
Adisak has been one of Thailand's hottest players this year.
He scored five goals for the Thai U23 side at the 2014 Asian Games as the Kingdom finished fourth in Incheon, South Korea.
The 23-year-old helped Buriram United retain the Thai Premier League title but was surprisingly sold to BEC Tero Sasana a few weeks ago.
Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang said after his team beat the Philippines that he and his players wanted a final berth to give Adisak a shot at glory.
"We wanted to give Adisak a chance to play in the final,'' Kiatisak said.
"Now he understands that he made a mistake. He wants to come back and play and show the fans what he can do. He has confidence and is looking forward to the final."
With first-choice striker Kirati Kaewsombut out injured, Adisak's return gives Kiatisak more options up front.
Kiatisak used midfielder Chanathip Sonkrasin as a lone striker against the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final and he opened the scoring in Thailand's 3-0 win.
The War Elephants have won the Asean title three times, with Kiatisak a member in those three winning sides.
The Thais are chasing their fourth title to match Singapore's record in the biennial event.
Like Thailand, Malaysia are in a confident mood ahead of the showdown.
The Tigers stunned Vietnam 4-2 in Hanoi in the semi-final second leg to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the Kuala Lumpur leg.
Malaysia coach Dollah Salleh will resume his rivalry with Kiatisak who has never lost to Salleh since their playing days.
"We're in the final after a tough campaign and the boys are all fired up to win,'' the 51-year-coach told the New Strait Times.
"There's less stress for me now that we have qualified for the final but the job's not done yet. Our focus is to win. The Thais are the favourites but we have an equal chance."