Coach Ishii satisfied with Thai team’s fightback to win game against Vietnam
War Elephants roar back to win 2-1 after conceding early lead to rivals in Hanoi
Thailand's head coach Masatada Ishii expressed satisfaction with the national football team’s 2-1 victory over ASEAN rival Vietnam in the LP Bank Cup held in Hanoi on Tuesday.
The War Elephants started the friendly match at My Dinh National Stadium with eight different players in the starting XI from the team that beat Singapore in the World Cup 2026 qualification game.
Thailand are ranked 101st in the world, ahead of Vietnam’s 115th.
The Golden Star Warriors took the lead in the 21st minute thanks to striker Tien Linh netting a goal from a long pass from defender Que Ngoc Hai.
The Thais, however, struck back five minutes later with a header from point-blank range by Suphanat Mueanta, who now plays in the Belgian Pro League.
Patrick Gustavsson added his name to the War Elephants’ scoresheet in the 40th minute. His first close-range shot was saved, but he pounced on the rebound to make it 2-1 for Thailand. It was Patrick’s first goal for Thailand.
Vietnam mounted a counter-offensive but found the poles or the Thai goalkeeper coming in the way of an equaliser.
Coach Ishii told the media that his team was able to adjust their playing style effectively after conceding the lead, which enabled them to equalise and then win the game.
“Every player I have seen when they were playing, whether they are with the J-League or Thai League, has been able to perform as expected,” said the Japanese coach.
Ishii specially complimented Suphanat’s performance.
The War Elephants were supposed to play one more friendly match against Russia during this international break, but the game was called off due to weather conditions.
The Thai national team will next play in the King's Cup from October 11-14.
Photo Credit: FA Thailand
