BANGKOK (1 June 2012) – ASEAN powerhouse Thailand will be looking to lift their first ever AFC Futsal Championship crown later today when they take on Japan in the final that will be played at the Al Wasl Stadium in Dubai.
“If we beat Japan in the final and become champions this will boost our confidence when we host the FIFA Futsal World Cup and can inspire us to at least get to the second round,” said talented striker Suphawut Thueanklang.
The Thais, under the guidance of coach Vic Hermans (pix), sidestepped powerhouse Iran 5-4 after extra-time to book their place for the title decider this year.
“This match (against Iran in the semi-final) was unbelievable and the whole team is very proud of what we have achieved so far,” said.
“But we were confident we could win the game as we have great belief in ourselves. We are a young team but we have a great spirit and we all help each other on the court.”
The exciting Thai side went into the semi-finals against defending champions Iran, who were aiming to win their 11th title in 12 tournaments, with the general consensus being that they were the overwhelming outsiders for the final ticket.
With Vahid Shamsaee opening the scoring in the fourth minute before Hossein Tayebi doubled the advantage three minutes later that assessment looked to be a fair one.
However Suphawut struck back instantly to make it 2-1 at the break and after Javad Ashgharimoghaddam had made it 3-1 to Iran, Suphawut reduced the deficit as Jirawat Sornwichian’s effort soon after sent the thrilling semi-final into extra-time.
Apiwat Chaemcharoen gave the Thais a 4-3 lead but in a dramatic end to the absorbing contest Shamsaee equalised before Suphawut sealed the win after missing a penalty seconds earlier.
Suphawut has scored in eight of the nine matches he has played in at the AFC Futsal Championships with Thailand’s 2-0 win over Kyrgyzstan in their Group A opener marking the only game he has failed to find the net.
After scoring six times at the 2010 AFC Championship as the Thais bowed out of the last competition at the quarter-final stage, Suphawut has taken his individual finals tournament tally to 13 (25 if the ASEAN Zone qualifiers are included) following his seven goals during Thailand’s impressive campaign in Dubai.
But perhaps none of the GH Bank RBAC player’s strikes have been more important than his winner against Iran, particularly coming just after he looked to have blown Thailand’s chances after Mostafa Nazari had saved his penalty.
Pix: Vic Hermans
“When I started to take the penalty, I felt all the fans and people back home supporting me must have been disappointed with the miss. But when I scored the winning goal, it was the one of the happiest moments ever,” he added.
The final the AFC Futsal Championship UAE 2012 between Thailand and Japan will kick-off at 1930.
