Singapore, November 21: Kiatisuk Senamuang’s wonder goal in the final of the inaugural ASEAN Championship almost 30 years ago was worthy of winning any tournament, but the Thailand forward’s strike not only secured the title for his team, it helped launch a dynasty.
That 1-0 win over the Malaysians courtesy of Kiatisuk’s 10th minute goal at Singapore’s National Stadium built upon Thailand’s earlier success in the Southeast Asian Games and propelled the country to a string of regional successes that remains unparalleled.
The 1996 victory was the first of seven in the first 15 editions of the ASEAN Championship, now named the ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ after its new title partners, as the War Elephants consolidated their position as the kings of the region. But going into the first-ever edition of the competition, that status was not assured.
Thailand arrived in Singapore as favourites for the inaugural championship having dominated recent editions of the biennial SEA Games tournament, winning back-to-back gold medals in 1993 and 1995.
But even that run of victories had done nothing to instil a sense of complacency within a nation determined tofurther entrench their position at the very top of ASEAN’s footballing hierarchy.
“I made a promise to the people of Thailand that I would bring back the (ASEAN Championship), I have to keep that promise,” Thailand manager Thawatchai Sajakul said ahead of the deciding clash with the Malaysians. “You can have the prize money, we’ll have the trophy!”
Kiatisuk’s blistering strike from 20 yards out into the top corner of Khairul Azman Mohamed’s goal was celebrated in style, with the forward racing off to launch an extravagant backflip to ensure Thavathchai delivered on his pledge.
Since then, the Thais have established themselves as the most successful nation in the competition’s history.
Thailand reclaimed the title in 2000 with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Indonesia in the final – having seen Singapore win the second edition two years earlier – and they followed that victory with a third title in 2002. Three more final appearances yielded runners-up finishes behind Singapore in 2004, Vietnam in 2008 and the Singaporeans, again, in 2012 before the country regained the winning habit in 2014.
A 3-2 aggregate victory over the Malaysians that year was the first of back-to-back championship wins with the Thais retaining the title in 2016 as a result of the 3-2 aggregate success over Indonesia.
While the Vietnamese broke that sequence in 2018, Thailand were back on top in 2018 due to a resounding 6-2 aggregate win over Indonesia, a result that the country followed up two years later with victory over Vietnam.
The 2022 title win took the country’s ASEAN Championship haul to seven in 14 tournaments, with five of those coming in the previous six tournaments to underline the country’s status as the dominant force in the region.
A run to the 2024 final, the tournament’s 15th edition, saw Thailand train their sights on a record-extending eighth title but, after losing out to the Vietnamese over two legs, the onus will be on the War Elephants to add to their remarkable tally at the 30th anniversary edition next July and August.
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