Suphawut hat-trick takes Thailand to last 16 round

Suphawut hat-trick takes Thailand to last 16 round

Thailand players, from left, Suphawut Thueanklang, Kritsada Wongkaew and Jirawat Sornwichian gesture during the match against the Solomon Islands.
Thailand players, from left, Suphawut Thueanklang, Kritsada Wongkaew and Jirawat Sornwichian gesture during the match against the Solomon Islands.

Thailand will face Kazakhstan in the last 16 round of the Fifa Futsal World Cup after securing a commanding 9-4 win over the Solomon Islands in their last group game on Sunday.

Suphawut Thueanklang scored a hat-trick for the Thais at the Kaunas Arena in Luthuania.

Thailand finished third in Group C with four points, behind Portugal (seven) and Morocco (five), with the Solomon Islands returning home without a single point.

Portugal drew 3-3 with Morocco in the other Group C game on Sunday.

Thailand's match against Group A winners Kazakhstan on Thursday will be their third successive appearance in the round of 16 at the Futsal World Cup.

"We had a lot of pressure in the group stage and we will do our best in the last 16 round," said Thailand coach Rakphol Sainetngarm.

"Our aim was to get past the first round and we have met our goal. We have to train hard to reduce our mistakes."

Rakphol took over the job in July after Spanish coach Pulpis quit the Thai national team.

Suphawut said he and his teammates would give their all to make history by securing the country's first ever quarter-final berth.

"We scored a lot of goals but we also made many mistakes," Suphawut said of the game against the Solomon Islands, who had been thrashed 7-0 by Portugal and 6-0 by Morocco.

"I think we conceded too many goals and we need to improve our defence before the game against Kazakhstan. We have to work hard."

In Sunday's game against the Solomon Islands, Suphawut scored three goals, Jetsada Chudet two, and Kritsada Wongkaew, Nawin Rattanawongswas, Jirawat Sornwichian and Peerapat Kaewwilai one each.

Thailand had lost 4-1 to Portugal and drawn 1-1 with Morocco at Lithuania 2021.

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