Kiatisak wants win in Manila for HM's birthday
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Thailand football coach Kiatisak Senamuang has vowed to get a positive result from the tricky Asean Championship semi-final first leg in the Philippines and dedicate it to His Majesty the King.
The fixture at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila comes a day after His Majesty’s birthday, and the 41-year-old Kiatisak hopes his men can play their part in boosting celebrations for the occasion by coming away with a win.
“We’re nearly 100 per cent ready for the game. Everyone is confident and a victory would lift the team’s confidence.
“We’re determined to do our best for our fans as well as for our beloved King. … I hope we can bring him a little joy with the team’s performance. Long live the King,” said the former national striker, whose side left for Manila yesterday.
Team manager Kasem Jariyawatwong echoed Kiatisak’s sentiments, saying the Thai side is in good spirits ahead of the match, which will be played on artificial turf.
“We have no injuries and the team’s morale is good. The FA boss [Worawi Makudi] also came to us with a piece of good news so everyone is confident of a good result from the game.
“The forecast says the closest storm is 800km from Manila, so the weather shouldn’t affect the game. Even if it does, we should be alright with the conditions,” said Kasem.
Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi, who has been caught up in Fifa’s latest corruption probe over the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, has pledged to hand the team Bt1 million for a win plus Bt500,000 for each goal they score.
