Thailand U23 sends a strong message ahead of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship

On the afternoon of January 3rd, at the training ground of the Yamaoka Hanasaka Academy, the Thailand U23 team conducted their last practice session in Thailand to finalize their preparations prior to traveling to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship in Saudi Arabia.

According to the Thai newspaper Matichon, the training session included all 23 players, focusing mainly on physical recovery and addressing weaknesses identified in recent friendly matches. Before the session, left-back Usamma Thiangkhum, who was called up to the Thailand U23 team for the first time, shared some notable comments.

He said: “I feel very happy right now to wear the Thailand U23 jersey for the first time. The atmosphere within the team is great, everyone is friendly and we all fight for the same goal, trying to make it a reality.”

Usamma emphasized his quick integration into the team: “Adapting to the team was quite easy because many players I have played with before are here. Everyone actively communicates and helps me feel comfortable. The whole team shares the same goal, has a strong team spirit, and fights together. I hope Thailand U23 can go deep in this tournament.”

Comparing the playing environments between Thailand and Morocco, where he previously played, Usamma added: “Football in Thailand and Morocco differs in many ways. Thailand has many foreign players and a lot of quality players; the league level here is really good. I hope the fans will continue to support us. The entire team will do their best to make the fans proud and achieve the best possible results in the tournament.”

According to the plan, the Thailand U23 team will depart for Saudi Arabia on January 3, 2026. The team will gather at Suvarnabhumi International Airport around 10:30 PM (local time), then fly on QR837 to Doha (Qatar) before connecting to Riyadh to prepare for the tournament.

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship does not offer direct qualification spots for subsequent tournaments, but the results will affect seedings for the 2028 AFC U23 qualifiers. Notably, the 2028 tournament will serve as the qualification for Asian teams to compete in the men's football event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (USA).