Chaba Kaew pound Palestine, reach Asian Cup finals

Chaba Kaew pound Palestine, reach Asian Cup finals

Thai players celebrate after scoring a goal against Palestine on Saturday.
Thai players celebrate after scoring a goal against Palestine on Saturday.

Thailand qualified for their 17th AFC Women's Asian Cup Finals with an emphatic 7-0 win over Palestine on Saturday night.

Victory meant the Southeast Asian side finished top of Group H, having defeated Malaysia in their opening match.

Thailand are once again very much in the race to make it to the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Despite only needing a draw to confirm their place in the 2022 Asian Cup in India from Jan 20-Feb 6, Thailand kept pressing and the Chaba Kaew's persistence was finally rewarded in the second minute of first-half injury time when Warunee Phetwiset curled in a sublime cross for the 19-year-old Janista Jinantuya to back heel the ball into the net.

Silawan Intamee struck three minutes later to double their lead just before the break and the Thais turned on the power in the second half with Irravadee Makris scoring back-to-back goals in the 47th and 52nd minutes and Silawan making it 5-0 in the 76th.

There was no stopping the Southeast Asians' march as Irravadee completed her hat-trick in the 82nd minute, with Janista slotting home the final goal of the evening six minutes into added time to seal the emphatic win.

Thailand coach Miyo Okamoto said: "It was a good game not just today but the match with Malaysia but we still have mistakes that needed to improve for the Asian Championship in India.

"After this we have to prepare the team more harder. We are still not half way as the target we are aiming for is the Fifa Women's World Cup.

"Our young players have their own personal football skill and so we have to give them opportunity to gain more experience."

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