Thailand U19 coach says something unbelievable after missing out on the SEA championship.

Following the defeat in the SEA final, the Thailand U19 head coach commended his squad as well as the Australian team.

Thailand U19 could not get their hands on the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 championship title. after a 0-2 loss to Australia in the final match held on the evening of June 13.. Despite being very confident after their semifinal victory, the young Golden Temple team still had to accept being outmatched by an opponent superior in physique, speed, and squad quality.

Entering the match with great determination, Thailand U19 hoped to claim their sixth title in the tournament's history. However, Australia showed the class of a top contender by controlling the game and scoring two goals to end the final with a convincing victory. This defeat caused the Thai side to miss the chance to equal their opponent's championship record.

What is noteworthy is the reaction of Coach Chakraphan Panpi after the match. Instead of expressing regret, the Thai tactician showed satisfaction with his players' performance. He praised the effort of the entire team while acknowledging Australia's superior strength.

“First of all, I am proud of the players for leading the team to the final. Today, we must give credit to Australia; they are a strong team with quality players. I am satisfied with the players because we gave our all, even though we didn't have much preparation time. The players did very well.”

The Thailand U19 coach also believes that pressure is inevitable for young players, but the key is knowing how to manage their mentality to aim for more long-term goals in the future. “The players may feel a bit of pressure, but we are trying to manage them and prevent them from putting too much pressure on themselves, because we already knew what our goal was when we came here.”

After the tournament, Thailand U19 will return to Bangkok on the night of June 14 before the coaching staff works with the Football Association of Thailand to prepare for the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers to be held in Chonburi at the end of August. Meanwhile, the victory over Thailand helped Australia increase their total number of Southeast Asian U19 championships to 6, thus becoming the most successful team in the tournament's history. Thailand ranks right behind with 5 titles, while Vietnam U19 has only won once, in 2007.