Malaysia U19 Futsal head coach Rakphol Sainetngam could not hide his pride after guiding his young charges to a third-place finish at the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Futsal Championship 2025, following a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Vietnam (FT 2-2).
Speaking to Futsal Thailand after the match, Rakphol praised the mentality and fighting spirit of his players, describing the bronze-medal match as a perfect ending to the U19 campaign.
“I’m truly impressed. This was the final match at U19 level and I have to praise the boys. Honestly, we were the underdogs against every team, especially in terms of physicality. But what stood out was their heart and fighting spirit,” said Rakphol.
Malaysia were trailing with just 15 seconds remaining, but once again showed remarkable resilience to force the game into penalties.
“Even when we were behind with only 15 seconds left, they came back. Every player fought for the country. I told them today that they must bring a medal home for their parents — and they did it. I’m very happy and extremely proud of this team,” he added.
Rakphol admitted that tactical adaptation remains a challenge for the squad, largely due to their limited exposure to high-level competition.
“These players still find it difficult to adjust to new tactics and new systems because they’ve never faced this kind of situation before. Sometimes they struggle to solve problems on the court. My job is to keep them calm, not to let them lose focus or panic during matches,” he explained.
Despite those limitations, the Thai tactician revealed that two to three players from this U19 squad are likely to be promoted to the senior national team setup for upcoming tournaments next year — a clear sign of progress within the youth system.
Rakphol also took the opportunity to thank Malaysian futsal fans, the Football Association, and his backroom staff after spending two and a half years with the national programme.
“Thank you to Malaysian futsal fans. I’ve been here for two and a half years and I’ve tried to give my best for Malaysia. The results at the SEA Games and this U19 tournament show the commitment from myself, the association, and my staff. We worked day and night, and we achieved our targets in these two tournaments.”
He concluded with heartfelt appreciation for everyone involved:
“I’m proud of the players, the coaching staff, the team management, and everyone behind the scenes. Thank you so much, Malaysia.”
Credit Photo : FAM
