Thailand bow out, China make history

Thailand’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup ended in disappointment on Wednesday night as a goalless draw with China confirmed their elimination from Group D.

- TOR CHITTINAND

Thailand national football team pose for a group photo at a recent match.

Head coach Thawatchai Damrong-ongtrakul admitted his side had fallen short despite their attacking intent.

“China have done really well, and I congratulate them for advancing for the first time,” he said. “We tried to play an attacking game to get three points but we could not achieve this.

“At the same time, I’m appreciative and proud of our players as they tried their best to score. We had a strong offence and defence but there were a lot of mistakes passing the ball.”