Thais READY for desert warriors

Fifteen years after their maiden appearance in Asia’s third and final qualifying round, Thailand will be hoping that luck will be on their side. Kiatisak, a key striker in the 2001 squad, will once again lead the country’s bid to reach the World Cup finals for the first time.

Kiatisak’s side begin their Group B campaign with a tricky trip to Saudi Arabia, who they have never beaten in their previous four meetings in the World Cup qualifiers. Nevertheless, the coach hopes his players could take something from the game at the King Fahd International Stadium.

“I already have the names of the starting lineup in my mind. It is by no means an easy game for us. So, we need to be cautious and keep our concentration.

“Teerasil Dangda will start up front, while others in the team will be those who have played together for a while. We also have substitutes, who could make an impact if given a chance, but it depends on the situation during the game.

“We’ll try to do everything we can to take home at least a point, which I think would be an achievement for us. However, should we play cautiously, stay focused and take our chances, we might win the game,” said the 43-year-old.

Kiatisak said his focus was to get his men acclimatised to the desert conditions after arriving in Riyadh from their training camp in Qatar. “We would like to see how well the players adapt to the weather here. There’s a difference in temperature from 39-40 Celsius in Qatar to 40-42 in Riyadh. They looked fine and fresh.

“We focused on defence in training. I tried to pass on my experience. I told the lads what they would expect on the pitch tomorrow. As soon as we arrived, the players realised it would be a problem if we didn’t get time to adjust to the conditions.

“They’re a strong side. They’ve made it to the finals four times. I expect a full house and a good atmosphere at the venue,” Kiatisak said.

After the Saudi fixture, the Thai side will host another regional powerhouse, Japan, at Rajamangala National Stadium on August 6. Other Group B opponents are Asian champions Australia and two other Middle East nations, Iraq and United Arab Emirates.