Thailand will meet Singapore in a 'crucial' friendly in Nakhon Ratchasima tonight.
Teerasil Dangda is making a return to the Thai national team. file photo
The match at the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties.
Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang said yesterday striker Teerasil Dangda and defender Theerathon Bunmathan, who are returning to the national team, would be in the starting line-up.
Buriram United star Theerathon, who is captain of the current side, missed last year's Asian Games and AFF Suzuki Cup.
Teerasil returned to Thailand in January after an unsuccessful spell at Spanish La Liga club Almeria.
Teerasil and his Muang Thong United teammates Kawin Thamsatchanan, Arthit Daosawang and Sarach Yooyen joined the national team yesterday after a promotional tour in the South with their club.
Kiatisak said newcomers like Korawit Namwiset, Rungrat Poomjanthuk, Vittaya Mudlam, Ekachai Sumre and Anuwat Noichuenphan would be used at certain stages in today's match.
Thailand will also play Cameroon in a warm-up match at Bangkok's Rajamangala National Stadium on March 30.
Cameroon yesterday beat Indonesia 1-0 in a friendly.
The two friendlies are important for Thailand as they offer Fifa ranking points.
If Thailand win both games they will have more ranking points and could be seeded higher in next month's draw for the 2018 World Cup qualifying round.
"Every match is important, and the two games could give us an easier draw for the World Cup qualifying round," said the Thailand coach.
Today's friendly is a rematch of Thailand's win against Singapore in the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup last year as the Thais went on to lift the title.
However, the atmosphere could be sombre as Singaporeans are mourning their former leader Lee Kuan Yew who passed away on Monday.
Meanwhile, officials have insisted the delayed Indonesian Super League season will kick-off next week, but how many clubs will be eligible remains unclear in another sorry soccer mess in the country.
The league was to start on Feb 20 with 18 teams but the Indonesian Professional Sports Agency (BOPI), an arm of the government, postponed that date until April 4 over concerns about the finances and administration at 15 clubs.
The issues had been highlighted by the government's new verification process, brought in for this season after the death in 2012 of Paraguayan player Diego Mendieta, who had gone unpaid at his club for months and had no money to pay for his care.
The following year, players from PSMS Medan claimed they had gone unpaid for 10 months and protested in Jakarta outside the offices of Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), a body once run from a jail cell by previous president Nurin Halid.
FIFPro, the world player's union, lambasted the crisis-hit PSSI, which had gone through a power struggle that had left the country with two domestic leagues, two national teams and one massive headache. bangkok post/reuters