UAE weather not an issue for Thai stars

UAE weather not an issue for Thai stars

Thailand players take part in a training session in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Thailand players take part in a training session in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The War Elephants are showing signs of getting used to the climate in the United Arab Emirates as they continue their preparations for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which gets underway on Saturday.

Thailand begin their Group A campaign on Sunday when they take on India in their first round-robin stage game.

The other two sides in the group are Bahrain and the host country. Thailand will next play Bahrain on Jan 10 and the UAE on Jan 14.

The top two teams in each of six groups and four best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage.

The War Elephants had a couple of training sessions at Pitch 2 of Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium under the close supervision of head coach Milovan Rajevac yesterday.

They play a warm-up game with Oman at the same venue tomorrow.

Buriram United defender Pansa Hemviboon said after yesterday morning's practice that weather in the UAE capital was not as cold as the team had expected.

"It's quite pleasant here at the moment as it isn't very cold, so we have adjusted well to the atmosphere," said Pansa.

"I would say most members of the team are fully fit and ready for the tournament.

"However, the most important thing for us will be to stay focused all the time in every game and try to limit our mistakes to the minimum.

"It has been 12 years since Thailand last reached the Asian Cup finals so it will be a first for all of us."

Thailand last appeared in the finals of the Asian Cup when they co-hosted the 2007 edition with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. They were eliminated in the first round.

"While I am excited about it, I don't feel any pressure," Pansa added.

Teammate Pokklaw A-Nan also confirmed that the War Elephants had acclimatised themselves well with the conditions in the Middle Eastern country.

"We have been here for two days now and atmosphere in the team's camp is great," Pokklaw added.

"We all know why we are here and what the Thai football fans expect from us.

"The Asian Cup is the biggest tournament in this part of the world and we are all determined to put in our best.

"I am not sure what sort of results we will be able to produce but I am confident that every member of the squad wants to see the team make it to the second round."

Thailand's best result in the event was a third-place finish in 1973 when the tournament had only six teams.

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