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ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Team Profile: Thailand

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12 Nov 2024

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The seven-time record winners of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™, Thailand are the two-time defending champions of the competition and are eyeing an unprecedented hat-trick of titles when the tournament begins on 8 December.

The War Elephants are on a surge in recent months, currently occupying the 96th spot in the FIFA rankings, the first time they have broken into the top 100 in 14 years.

 

Honours

Champions (7): 2022, 2020, 2016, 2014, 2002, 2000, 1996

Runners-up (3): 2012, 2008, 2007

 

Tournament Highlights

The ASEAN Championship’s most dominant side, Thailand left their mark in the inaugural edition when Kiatisuk ‘Zico’ Senamuang’s winner helped them beat Malaysia 1-0 in 1996. Indonesia were then outclassed in back-to-back finals in 2000 and 2002 following which the War Elephants endured a 12-year drought for the title.

The throne was reclaimed after seeing off Malaysia in 2014 thanks to dramatic late goals by Charyl Chappuis and Chanathip Songkrasin, before Indonesia were the final victims again both in 2016 and 2020 with the latter being a 6-2 aggregate win, the highest winning margin in a final.

Title number 7 was confirmed in January of last year in a closely contested tie against Vietnam, in which Theerathon Bunmathan’s superb long-range strike at the Thammasat Stadium handed the Thais their record-extending title.

 

Head Coach: Masatada Ishii

Japanese tactician Masatada Ishii played as a midfielder for Kashima Antlers before transitioning into management with the J.League 1 club. He led them to the league title and Emperor's Cup in 2016 and then famously masterminded the Antlers’ path to the FIFA Club World Cup final, becoming the first-ever Asian club to achieve the feat.

Ishii's success continued in Thailand, winning consecutive domestic trebles in 2021/22 and 2022/23 with Buriram United before taking charge of the Thailand national team and guiding them to the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup earlier this year in his first international football assignment.

 

One To Watch: Suphanat Mueanta

In 2019, Suphanat Mueanta became the youngest goalscorer in AFC Champions League history aged just 16 years and 8 months.

Now 22, Suphanat has developed into a crucial goalscorer for the Thailand national team having famously scored the equaliser against Korea Republic in Seoul in a 1-1 draw in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year. He continued his good form with a further two goals in the King’s Cup as the young forward claimed his first senior international trophy.

 

The Legend: Kiatisuk Senamuang

Kiatisuk Senamuang, affectionately known as 'Zico', is one of the greatest Thai footballers of all time and is the nation's most capped and highest goalscorer ever. During an illustrious international career spanning almost 15 years, Zico won three ASEAN Championship titles in 1996, 2000 and 2002.

He was adjudged the MVP in 2000 while two years later he won the title as the captain. The legendary forward then returned to the national team as head coach to end their title drought, leading them to two more titles in 2014 and 2016, becoming the most successful individual the competition has ever seen.

 

Did You Know?

Thailand has enjoyed a remarkable dominance in the ASEAN Championship, having reached the final in 10 out of the 14 editions and lifted the title seven times – three times more than the next best Singapore.

 

Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Fixtures

Timor-Leste vs Thailand (8 December, 2024)

Thailand vs Malaysia (14 December, 2024)

Singapore vs Thailand (17 December, 2024)

Thailand vs Cambodia (20 December, 2024)

 

Photo: Changsuek

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