FAT picks 24 in preliminary squad for the SEA Games
The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) announced yesterday its provisional list of 24 players of the U23 national side for the SEA Games in the Philippines.
The players will report to the training camp in Bang Bo, Samut Prakan, today.
Four young players from the senior national team — Supachok Sarachat, Supachai Chaided, Suphanat Mueanta and Ekanit Panya — are not included in the initial squad.
However, they are almost certain to be part of the SEA Games team and will join the squad after playing for the senior side in two World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia on Nov 14 and in Vietnam on Nov 19.
Apart from playing for the senior and U23 teams, Buriram United forward Suphanat, 17, is turning out to be a star of the U19 side which is competing in a qualifying tournament in Cambodia for the 2020 AFC U19 Championship.
Suphanat scored five goals in Thailand’s 21-0 win over Northern Mariana Islands yesterday.
He also found the back of the net four times against Brunei.
Thailand coach Akira Nishino, who is also in charge of the senior national team, will trim the U23 squad to 20 players before the SEA Games.
The Thais will have two warm-up matches with China at BG Pathum Stadium in Pathum Thani on Saturday and with Myanmar on Nov 13 at Chulalongkorn Stadium.
At the SEA Games, two-time defending champions Thailand are in Group B with Brunei, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.
They will kick off their campaign against Indonesia on Nov 26.
Group A looks much weaker, featuring the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Timor-Leste.
The top two teams of each group advance to the semi-finals.