Year of oohs and aahs now comes to end

Bad start dooms Thai sides to drastic finale

- TOR CHITTINAND

For Thai football, 2025 ended in the same tragic vein as it began. Ironically, both heartbreaks came at the same venue, against the same opponents, at the same stage — and, uncannily, by the same scoreline.

In January, the senior national team surrendered their Asean crown to Vietnam at Rajamangala National Stadium, losing the second leg of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup final 3-2. Eleven months later, the U22 side suffered an identical fate at the same ground, falling 3-2 to Vietnam in the SEA Games gold medal match — a defeat that marked Thailand's first failure to win football gold as hosts in over 50 years.

The AFF Cup final had promised redemption. Led by Chanathip Songkrasin and goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai, Thailand entered the second leg trailing 2-1. Goals from Benjamin Davis and Supachok Sarachat gave the home crowd hope, but defensive lapses — including an own goal from Pansa Hemviboon — handed Vietnam a 5-3 aggregate win.

Club football offered brief respite. Buriram United, the Thunder Castle, lifted the inaugural AFF Club Championship (Shopee Cup) after a wild 5-5 aggregate draw and penalty shootout win over Cong An Ha Noi.

Domestically, Buriram completed a clean sweep — winning Thai League 1, the FA Cup (3-2 vs Muangthong United), and the League Cup (2-0 vs Lamphun Warriors).