Datsakorn shakes off injury as Singapore loom
Thailand midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao is set to feature in the first leg of the Asean Championship final in Singapore tomorrow, after shaking off a nagging injury.
The Thai side, who reached the final after securing a 3-1 aggregate win over defending champions Malaysia, touched down in the city state yesterday ahead of the match at Jalan Besar stadium against the Singaporeans, who are level with them with three title wins in the biennial tournament.
After a twohour flight, national coach Winfried Schaefer, whose side are yet to lose in the eight-team finals, got his team to do a light stretching session. The German then revealed former captain Datsakorn was fit to play in the game, which will be played on an artificial pitch.
“He [Datsakorn] felt a pain in his groin, which might stem from a tackle he made. He’s a lot better now after taking a day’s rest, and the team doctor has already confirmed he will be fit for the game. That’s really good news for us,” said the 62-year-old German.
Schaefer was also unconcerned by the fact that five Thai players, including Datsakorn, face suspension for the return leg at Supachalasai National stadium on Saturday if they get a yellow card in tomorrow’s fixture.
“I’m confident that all five players who are one booking away from suspension know how they should play in the game in order not to get in trouble.”
The German is hoping his charges can claim a potentially crucial away goal from a tricky match against a Singaporean side packed with naturalised players, as they did in the semifinal tie against the Malaysians.
“We hope to gain an upper hand by claiming an away goal from the first leg. It would be an achievement to score in the away tie. I believe the lads will have no problem playing on the artificial pitch.”
