New Thailand coach ticks all the right boxesNew Thailand coach Akira Nishino (right) and Thai football chief Somyot Poompunmuang shake hands during the contract signing ceremony in Tokyo on Friday. (AP photo)Football Association of Thailand president Somyot Poompunmuang has finally got the man he wanted -- Japanese coach Akira Nishino. As coach of the Japanese U23 team, he soon became famous thanks to the squad's performance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His challenge will begin in Asia's second qualifying round for the 2002 World Cup where Thailand are grouped with the UAE, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. "The Thai players must have faith in themselves, teammates, tactics and the new coach," said Witthaya, a former national team player and coach.

Source: Bangkok Post July 20, 2019 23:15 UTC