In a hard fought match, Ekanit Panya gave the War Elephants the lead in the 44th minute to send the majority of the 24,121 crowd at Tinsulanon Stadium into raptures.
However, it appeared Syria’s Spanish manager José Lana shared some choice words with his team during the half time break as they came out for the second half with much more purpose in their play.
This was evident when a misplaced pass from Thailand’s Sasalak Haiprakhon allowed Ezequiel Naim Ham to equalise for Syria in the 53rd minute.
The game then became a very tight affair, with scoring chances for both sides at a minimum before Chanathip snatched victory for the home side with a 91st minute winner.
The win meant Thailand, coached by Japanese Masatada Ishii, captured the trophy for the first time since 2017 and for the 16th time overall since 1976. Victory in what was the 50th edition of the hugely popular tournament was also the first time Thailand had won the Cup outside of Bangkok.
“We had opportunities to finish the game several times but were unable to take them,” commented man of the match Chanathip after the game.
“Ultimately it’s about whether we fight or not and we did. This team represents a new generation of players and I must thank all my teammates,” he added.
Playmaker Chanathip, nicknamed ‘Messi J’ after Argentina star Lionel Messi, also paid tribute to the Thai fans whose support he claimed help boost the players morale and inspired them to the win.
It was a sentiment shared by coach Ishii. “The fans cheering for us, whether in the stadium or watching on TV, played a crucial role in helping us perform well. I must thank everyone who came to cheer, giving the players energy to play throughout the game,” said the Japanese.
President of the Football Association of Thailand Nualphan Lamsam, affectionaly known as ‘Madam Pang’, announced that the Thai squad would receive a B5 million bonus for their triumph, an increase on the previously announced B3mn.
The victory follows on from Thailand finishing as runners-up to Australia in the ASEAN Under-16 Boys’ Championship in Indonesia 2024 in July, suggesting progress is being made under Ms Nualphan, who took office at the start of this year.
The King’s Cup tournament was first played in 1968, with three invitational teams joining hosts Thailand. In this edition, Thailand defeated the Philippines 3-1 in their first game last Friday (Oct 11), while Syria beat Tajikistan 1-0 on the same day.