Don't lower the guard,says Prapol
National coach Prapol Pongpanich warned his side not to be lulled into a false sense of security as Thailand attempt to qualify for the second stage of the 2008 Olympic qualifying round.
Thailand are in a good position to make it through to the next round after clinching a narrow 1-0 away victory over Turkmenistan courtesy of substitute Chachrit Buathong's late goal in the preliminary qualifying round first-leg last week. Despite heading into the second-leg match tomorrow with their confidence sky high, Thailand, who are free from injury problems, refused to sit on their slim advantage and aimed to register another victory to please the home fans. "We'll not try to protect our advantage. If we do that, there is a high possibility of an error. They [Turkmenistan] have no choice but to throw everything forward. That means they will leave a big hole at the back. So, if we can take our chances from a counter-attack, we should win," Prapol said. With his side looking certain to secure their passage, Prapol he was already looking ahead to the group stage and planned to have a training camp at Sattahip Navy base in Chon Buri which is equipped with full facilities. Kasem Jariyawatwong, the team manager, remained cautious about Thailand's chances of progressing to the next round as he said the 1-0 advantage in the tie did not guarantee qualification. He also believed Turkmenistan should not have any trouble in adapting to the conditions in Thailand, which initially was expected to give the Thai team an edge over the visitors. "The hot conditions in Thailand should not cause them a problem. In Turkmenistan, the temperature can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius. The only difference is the weather is very dry there, while it is humid here," Kasem said. "This side is made up of lads who I think are the best of their generation. However, we are still not in a state to afford a costly mistake. We must not be overconfident," said Kasem who revealed that 2,008 firecrackers, the figure of the year in which the Olympics will be held, will be lighted before the team leaves for Nong Chok training ground for the match as he believed it will bring good fortune to the side. The match will take place at Supachalasai stadium. Tickets priced at Bt50 and 100 are available at the venue. Channel 7 will televise the game live from 7pm.
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