Thailand's former striker Teeratep Winothai praised the national team's performance in the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, despite their 2-2 draw against Vietnam in the second leg, which resulted in a 4-2 aggregate loss. Writing on Facebook after the match at My Dinh Stadium, Teeratep commended the players for their effort, stating, "I want to commend our players, the Thailand national team members. Today, you played well. It's regrettable there were some errors, but overall, I believe this squad passed the test. You achieved your goals and fought very well."

Teeratep Winothai, 41, scored 16 goals in 48 matches for the Thailand national team between 2005 and 2022. He highlighted the significant disadvantage in experience faced by Anthony Hudson's squad. Many players had never been called up to the national team before, some were very young, and several did not regularly play for their clubs.

In contrast, Vietnam entered the ASEAN Cup 2026 with a much stronger lineup. "Vietnam used their main squad, even suspending their national championship to prepare for this tournament, despite it not being a FIFA Days window. Therefore, for me, what the Thailand national team achieved exceeded expectations," Teeratep added.

Thailand put in a determined effort in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium. Having lost 0-2 in the first leg at Rajamangala, the visitors needed to win by at least two goals to overturn the deficit. Yotsakon Burapha opened the scoring in the 12th minute, narrowing the aggregate score to 1-2.

After halftime, Thailand had a significant opportunity to equalize the aggregate score. They were awarded a penalty in the 47th minute after Pham Xuan Manh fouled Kakana Khamyok in the box. However, Kakana's penalty shot went over the bar.

Five minutes later, the Vietnam national team equalized 1-1 in a rather fortunate manner. Do Hoang Hen's shot hit the post, before deflecting off goalkeeper Chatchai Budprom's foot and into the net. This own goal restored Vietnam's two-goal advantage on aggregate.

Thailand did not give up. In the 85th minute, Wanchai capitalized on a mistake by Truong Tien Anh, controlling the ball and scoring from close range, making it 2-1 and reducing the aggregate score to 3-2. The visitors needed just one more goal to level the final. However, as they pushed for an attack, Wanchai inadvertently dashed their hopes. In the final minute of added time, in an attempt to clear a ball heading towards Nguyen Xuan Son, the number 24 player accidentally put the ball straight into his own net.

The match concluded with a 2-2 draw, meaning Vietnam won the final 4-2 on aggregate and secured the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship. This marks the first time in history that Vietnam has successfully defended its Southeast Asian title.

According to Fotmob statistics, Vietnam had 13 shots, with three hitting the post or crossbar. Thailand, meanwhile, had 11 shots.

Despite the defeat, Teeratep highly rated the Thai squad's performance. The former striker stated that his team controlled the game well. "Today, we gave them almost no chances to score," he remarked. "We controlled the game well, created many opportunities, and took the lead two times. We even scored for the other side ourselves. Vietnam scored no goals themselves against us."

This comment refers to both own goals Thailand conceded in the second leg. The first came from Chatchai after Hoang Hen's shot, and the second was Wanchai's own goal late in the match.

Le Pham Thanh Long competes for the ball with Sarach Yooyen during Vietnam's 2-2 draw with Thailand in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi on the evening of 26/8. Photo: Duc Dong

Teeratep believes that the final defeat should be viewed as a lesson for Thai football to continue providing opportunities for young players. "Next time, let's designate this tournament as an opportunity to use new players. Let's give new faces, young players, a chance to step up and test themselves on a stage with pressure from all sides like this," Teeratep said.

The former Thailand international suggested that the ASEAN Cup 2026 performance demonstrated that less experienced players are capable of playing at a high level. He believes Coach Hudson's squad "almost won the championship."

Thailand entered the tournament with a young squad, missing many key players who regularly feature for the national team. Despite this, Hudson's team advanced past the group stage, reached the final, and posed significant challenges for Vietnam in the second leg. According to Teeratep, continuing to provide opportunities for this group of players could help Thailand address future squad challenges, rather than depending on clubs releasing players. "That way, we won't have to scramble at the last minute because clubs refuse to release players," he noted.

Finally, Teeratep urged fans to continue supporting the national team and accept the defeat against Vietnam. "Let's continue to encourage and support each other. Let's learn to accept defeat," he emphasized, concluding with the message: "Go Thailand."

Hoang An compiled