Chun Yong out to upset Thailand
are considered a dominant force in Southeast Asia having won the AFF Futsal Championship 13 times in 14 editions.
And today, the Thais are expected to dominate Malaysia and win their 14th title in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Thailand and Malaysia have met three times since last year with the former winning all the encounters.
Last year, Thailand edged Malaysia with 4-3 scorelines in the same event and also the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games.
The Thais then hammered Chiew Chun Yong’s side 7-1 in last month’s PTT Thailand Five in Bangkok.
Jetsada Chudech and Apiwat Chaemcharoen are Thailand’s most dangerous players with 14 goals between them so far.
Chun Yong, however, who is known for his effective tactics, is likely to come up with solutions to stop the Thais.
National player Khairul Effendy believes his side have the pedigree to upset the form book and win the tournament for the first time.
“Thailand have been preparing for a long time for this event, while we have been away from major tournaments for six months before we started preparing in September.
“However, we have met them many times before and we will use the experience to try to upset them.
“Our goal is to put an end to the string of defeats to the Thais,” said Khairul Effendy.
The only time Thailand did not win the tournament was in 2010 when they decided not to play in it. Indonesia won the title in their absence.