Thailand spent their March international break by playing two friendlies against Middle Eastern sides Syria and the United Arab Emirates away at Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively and while the Changsuek lost both games, head coach Alexandre Polking was proud of his charges, saying that they are ready to face Asia’s finest in the upcoming 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Polking’s Thailand side lost 3-1 in Dubai at the hands of Syria last week, before succumbing to a 2-0 loss at the hands of the UAE in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
But despite the defeats, Polking was satisfied by his team’s showing, especially considering that both Syria and the UAE are much stronger than Thailand on paper. The Brazilian told the Bangkok Post that as long as his players are focused enough in matches, Thailand are capable enough to take on the top dogs of Asian football.
“We are not happy with the results but they were just warm-up games,” Polking said, “We wanted to see if we could play against teams at this level, and after the games, I believe we can. I’d like to tell Thai football fans to have faith in the national team. I believe we will do well at the Asian Cup.”
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Qatar on January 10th-Febuary 10th 2024, being postponed by almost a year from its initial date.