BANGKOK (29 Dec 2014) – Less than two weeks after delivering Thailand’s their first ASEAN crown in 12 years, coach Kiatisak Senamuang has called on fans and supporters alike to keep their expectations in check.
The Thais capped their fourth ASEAN title last week after beating Malaysia 4-3 on aggregate in the finals that was played in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
And following the success of the youthful squad under Kiatisak, there are expectations that the team could do better in 2015 and look to win a place at the World Cup in 2018.
“We produced good performances, which means some fans now want to see us make it through to the World Cup finals. I want to see that happen, too. But we’re not ready yet for the next World Cup (2018 in Russia). So please don’t rush the team,” said Kiatisak.
“Everything needs time. This squad has average age of 21-22 so they still need to gain more experience. And I don’t want them to suffer more pressure. I believe in the next four to six years they will be much stronger.”
Prior to the AFF Suzuki Cup, the Thai squad had regained the SEA Games gold medal in 2013 and where they had also surged to a fourth place finish at the Asian Games in South Korea a few months back.
