Thai defender once provoked Xuan Son: ‘Because of me, the team lost 2 goals, I’m sorry’

Challenged and then overcome by Xuan Son himself

Before the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final between the Vietnamese team and Thailand, in response to the Thai press, Chalermsak Aukkee said challengingly: “I don’t know who Nguyen Xuan Son is? Try confronting Jonathan Khemdee of We’ll see. I’m sure Jonathan is much stronger.” Next, Chalermsak Aukkee also affirmed: “We are not afraid to meet the Vietnamese team. You have to ask if the Vietnamese team is afraid of us.”

Interestingly, in the match against the Vietnamese team on the evening of January 2, Chalermsak Akkee was one of the players assigned to start by coach Masatada Ishii. He plays as a central defender, alongside teammate Pansa Hemviboon. However, this duo had a bad day and allowed Xuan Son to surpass them many times. In the 53rd and 73rd minutes, Chalermsak Akkee and Pansa Hemviboon, although standing very close to Xuan Son, let the Vietnamese striker pass, scoring a double goal. In the 83rd minute, Chalermsak Akkee joined the attack and scored a goal, but it was only honorable for Thailand.

After the match, Chalermsak Akkee was one of the most criticized players on the Thai team. On X platforms (formerly Twitter) as well as Instagram, the 30-year-old player was constantly teased by fans because of his words before the match.

In response, Chalermsak Akkee apologized to Thai fans: “I’m sorry. I regret the mistake I made in the match against the Vietnamese team, especially the two goals I lost. My teammates must be tired too. I apologize to the Thai national team.”

Coach’s favorite gameMasatada Ishii was also criticized

Not only Chalermsak Akkee, star Ekanit Panya was also criticized by Thai fans after a 1-2 defeat to the Vietnamese team. Ekanit Panya is considered a “precious asset” of coach Masatada Ishii and only used it in the match against Vietnam in the first leg of the final. However, Ekanit Panya had a disappointing performance and did not leave any mark on the field.

After the match, Ekanit Panya shared: “Today we had a bad result when we lost the match. Thailand has struggled at times. However, it must be admitted that the Vietnamese team is one of the strong teams, with a great desire to win. Luckily we still have a return match. Thailand will fight hard, come back and win at home to win the championship.”