Thailand cannot underestimate Honduras when they meet in the King’s Cup although they are just a U20 side, national coach Kiatisak Senamuang said yesterday.
Kiatisak Senamuang.
The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) earlier said Honduras would field their 2014 World Cup side at the four-team King’s Cup to be held in Nakhon Ratchasima from Feb 1-7.
Honduras arrived in the northeastern province yesterday and coach Jorge Jimenez confirmed that his squad is a U20 team.
“We are using our U20 team and do not have full international players,’’ Jimenez said.
Kiatisak admitted that he did not know much about Honduras.
“I think their U20 side is also dangerous,’’ he said.
The other two teams are Uzbekistan and South Korea who both use their U22 teams.
On the opening day of the King’s Cup tomorrow, Uzbekistan take on South Korea and Thailand meet Honduras.
After a round-robin competition, the team with the highest points will lift the King’s Cup.
Thailand lost 1-0 to Buriram United in the last of their three warm-up matches on Thursday and Kiatisak said his team was ready for the tournament.
“We have learned a lot from the warm-up matches,’’ he said.
“Our players are almost 100 percent fit.”
Tanaboon Ketsarat, Adul Lasoh and Kroekrit Taweekarn are nursing slight injuries but should be available for selection.