Thailand's greatest player, Kiatisuk Senamuang, yesterday announced his retirement from international soccer after his country's fighting exit from the Asian Cup.
The striker, Southeast Asia's most recognized and influential soccer player, called an end to his 100-plus capped international career after his side's 4-0 defeat to star-studded Australia to bow out of the tournament.
Skipper Tawan Sripan and midfielder Therdsak Chaiman are also hanging up their boots, Thai TV reported.
Known as "Zico" for his silky skills, the scorer or more than 60 international goals missed two years of international soccer after a much-publicized bust-up with then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin, now living in exile in Britain and the new owner of Manchester City, criticized the Thai team for "lacking heart" after a 4-1 home defeat to North Korea in a 2004 World Cup qualifier.
Kiatisuk fired back by asking publicly what Thaksin knew about soccer and there was no surprise when the striker's name was missing from the squad for the last Asian Cup in China in 2004.
"We did not want to lose that match, we played to win. We even cried in the changing room afterwards. The players needed a lift but then we heard what had been said [by Thaksin]," Kiatisuk said at the time.
Reports said Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont went into the team's room after Monday's loss to Australia and tried to convince Kiatisuk to stay on for next year's World Cup qualifiers.
But Kiatisuk confirmed it was his last game.
"We planned to substitute Kiatisuk but Teeratep Winothai had cramps and we decided to take him off and leave Kiatisuk on the field for the whole 90 minutes. Things didn't go as planned," coach Chanvit Polchovin said yesterday. "Kiatisuk put more than 100 percent into the game and you couldn't have asked for more from him."
Kiatisuk is revered in his homeland for his part in the team's 2-1 extra-time victory over South Korea in the quarter-final of the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
He was also the first Thai to play full-time in England.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS