Thai football fans want the team to recall the 'elbow king' to the national team

Japanese coach Masatada Ishii is facing pressure to recall Theerathon Bunmathan, who he had immediately removed from the Thai national team.

Thai public opinion wants Bunmathan to return to the national team - Photo: FAT

Now 35 years old, Bunmathan was once considered one of the best players in Southeast Asian football. He ranked 4th in the number of appearances for the Thai national team, with 105 appearances.

The Buriram United defender is known for his clever play as well as his dirty tricks. Bunmathan has been given the unsympathetic nickname "elbow king" by fans because of his ugly playing style.

Bunmathan has been continuously removed from the national team list by coach Masatada Ishii in the most recent call-ups.

The last time Bunmathan played for Thailand was in November last year, in the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

For nearly a year, Bunmathan has not been given a chance by the Japanese coach. Similarly, Teerasil Dangda, the striker who turned 37 years old but has not yet retired from the national team, also last played for the Thai team in November last year.

However, the recent poor performance of the Thai team has made fans and football experts in this country want Mr. Ishii to change his stance.

Mr. Piyapong Pue-on, a Thai football legend (who played 100 times for the national team) and is now a member of the Thai Football Federation, recently asked Coach Ishii to call Bunmathan back, along with many other veteran players.

Specifically, Mr. Piyapong said on a YouTube channel: "I don't know who will be called up for the upcoming meeting. But I hope that Bunmathan will be on the list, along with Teerasil Dangda and Chakkraphan Kaewprom."

According to Mr. Piyapong, this is the stage where the Thai team needs to improve their performance, not build a young generation.

Thailand lost to Turkmenistan in the second match of Group D of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In October, they will have two consecutive matches with Taiwan (home and away).

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-ham-mo-bong-da-thai-lan-muon-doi-goi-lai-vua-cui-cho-len-tuyen-20250923200153717.htm