Thai U20 coach 'warns' his players about Vietnam team's strength

Thai U20 coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian is not underestimating the opponent ahead of the match against Vietnam U20 in Group A of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2026.

After an impressive comeback victory against Bangladesh on the opening day, the Thai U20 team has gained significant confidence before the second match against Vietnam U20 women's team. However, head coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian of the host team remains very cautious:

“We have faced Vietnam many times, we know how strong they really are,” Srathongvian said. “We definitely need to play better than we did in the match against Bangladesh."

In the opening match, despite being rated higher, the Thai U20 women's team unexpectedly allowed the opponent to lead 2-0, before scoring three goals to secure a dramatic 3-2 result. Strategist Nuengrutai stated that she and the entire team will need to improve many aspects in the upcoming match.

"There are some weaknesses we need to address before the next match, but I think our main focus will be boosting the team's confidence and helping them overcome the pressure from the first game, which sometimes prevented them from playing according to plan.”

In the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2026, the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, the Vietnam U20 women's team is determined to perform well in the match against host Thailand, after suffering a 0-3 defeat against China on the opening day.

"In the match against Thailand, the team will continue to play defensively and strive to regain possession better by organizing effective and structured counter-attacks,” Vietnam U20 coach stated.

The match between Thailand U20 and Vietnam U20 will take place at 20:00 on April 4 at Thammasat Stadium.