In 2007, 19-year-old Thailand striker Teerasil Dangda made his one and only appearance in
the AFC Asian Cup when he came on as a late substitute in the 1-1 with Iraq.
Now 30 years old, he will be the sole surviving player from that squad when the Thais kick
off their 2019 Asian Cup campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against India on January
6th.
When Teerasil was starting out 12 years ago, he played alongside some of the biggest names
in Thailand’s first golden generation, with legendary striker Kiatisuk Senamuang 34 years
old and skipper Totchtawan Sripan two years older.
Their peak had come between 1996 and 2002 as they won three AFF Cup titles, came fourth
in the 1998 Asian Games, reached the final qualifying round of the World Cup for first
time and hit 43 in the FIFA rankings.
This generation was managed by former Aston Villa striker Peter Withe for several years
but other Englishmen would be less successful.
Peter Reid and Bryan Robson had spells in charge between 2008 and 2011 but neither could
even win Southeast Asia’s biennial AFF Cup.
Germany’s Winfried Schafer could not stop the rot, losing in the 2012 AFF Cup final
and departing during the 2015 Asian Cup qualification campaign that saw the Thais suffer six defeats
out of six.
Kiatisuk was given the manager’s job in 2014, and he would soon turn things around
and nurture a new generation of Thai talent.
A fourth-place finish for the Under-23 side at the 2014 Asian Games was a step in the
right direction. Kiatisuk used many of these players to form the backbone of his team as
he sought to distance himself from past failures.
Goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan and playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin were two of the standout
players and they would be crucial members of the squad that won the AFF Cup for the
first time in 12 years in 2014, with Chanathip the tournament MVP.
The Thais played expansive, possession-based football, with wing-backs darting forward
from deep and attacking midfielders supporting the lone striker.
They even managed to win this competition without two of the key components of the team.
Teerasil missed the tournament as he was on loan at UD Almeria in Spain but he would return
to play a key role in Thailand’s 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. Left wing-back Theerathon
Bunmathan would also return as skipper, goal scorer and creator.
For just the second time in their history, Thailand made it to the final qualifying round.
Kiatisuk remained committed to his attacking principles but the wheels came off when they
faced some continental heavyweights. The first four games in the final round ended in defeat.
The AFF Cup was retained in 2016 as Thailand again proved the best in Southeast Asia, but
back in World Cup qualifying, 3-0 and 4-0 defeats to Saudi Arabia and Japan proved too
much and Kiatisuk resigned in March 2017 after criticism from the president of the Football
Association of Thailand.
Former Ghana boss Milovan Rajevac came in and promised to address Thailand’s defensive
weaknesses, with success in the 2019 Asian Cup very much his priority.
Despite the failure to make an impression in the World Cup qualifying group, several
Thai players had caught the eye playing for both club and country.
Muang Thong United’s Teerasil, Chanathip, Kawin and Theerathon were on the radar of
overseas clubs and Chanathip moved to Japan’s Consadole Sapporo on loan in the summer of
2017.
Teerasil and Theerathon would follow Chanathip to the J League on loan deals at the beginning
of the following year, while Kawin joined OH Leuven in Belgium.
Without these four players, the Thais relinquished their AFF Cup title in 2018 but they will
be back for the Asian Cup and this could be the last time they have the opportunity to
achieve something significant together.
But Thailand have been playing without the attacking swagger that was characteristic
of the Kiatisuk’s time in charge.
Rajevac’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation is supposed to provide a strong shield for the
defence and keep the full-backs focused on their defensive duties.
Under Kiatisuk, the sight of the two wing-backs bombing up the flanks excited the fans but
they have not been so thrilled by the pragmatic approach adopted by Rajevac where the result
is the only thing that matters.
The minimum requirement in the UAE is to advance to the last 16 from a group that features
the hosts, Bahrain and emerging India.
It would be a real shame if the talent in this Thailand side was not rewarded with an
eye-catching performance at the highest level in Asia.
By the time the next tournament comes around, Teerasil will be 34, while Theerathon and
Kawin will be 33. Chanathip – the youngest of these four talents – will be pushing
30 and might not have the same influence in the absence of some of his best supporting
players.
Thailand’s ‘golden generation’ has not enjoyed the best of luck, with three of their
most promising midfielders suffering serious knee injuries that have hindered their development.
Other players have found themselves out of favour as Rajevac does not feel they fit into
his system.
Thailand have often considered themselves as falling between two stools – too good
for Southeast Asia, as their record five AFF Cup titles suggests - but not good enough
against the best that Asia has to offer.
There might never be a better time to put that right with four players on board who
have gone beyond the confines of the Thai League to play at a higher level.
Chanathip was named Consadole’s Player of the Year in 2018, while Theerathon has been
playing alongside Andres Iniesta and Lukas Podolski at Vissel Kobe. Teerasil was not
always a starter at Sanfrecce Hiroshima but he netted seven league goals as his club ended
the season as runners-up.
Kawin, meanwhile, has featured regularly under Nigel Pearson at OH Leuven in Belgium’s
second tier.
Despite his unpopularity for his tactical approach, in Rajevac, they have a manager
who reached the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup.
Thailand have also been handed a draw that sees progress very much within their grasp
– an expanded Asian Cup format seeing 16 teams out of 24 moving out of the group stages.
Thailand should really be aiming for the last eight – an achievement that would provide
a fitting measure of the progress made since Kiatisuk put his faith in the young talent
he had at his disposal.
Chanathip is the poster boy for this team and fans will hope that Rajevac adopts a system
that makes the most of his creative talents.
Thailand expects a return from its latest golden generation and now is the time to make
it happen.