The young Thai team staged a remarkable comeback, conceding 3 goals before getting two late goals of their own from Charyl Chappuis and Chanathip Songkrasin to win the AFF Suzuki Cup with an aggregate score of 4-3 – a match few will forget. In the home fixture Thailand defeated Malaysia 2-0. “We played a beautiful game, a fantastic game,” Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang said after the match. Thailand now has a record-equaling fourth title but their first for 12 years, while Kiatisak is he first person to win it as a player and a coach. The winner was also awarded 25 million THB.
Chanathip said the Thai team didn’t panic after seeing three goals from Malaysia and continued to play at their own pace. Defeat was cruel for Malaysia, who appeared to have pulled off another great escape after they overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the semi-final against Vietnam by winning 4-2 in Hanoi. This was the tenth edition of the AFF (Asean Football Federation) Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. Co-hosting rights to the group stages were awarded to Singapore and Vietnam with matches being held on 22 November to 20 December 2014. Meanwhile, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand also hosted knock-out stage matches, as their teams advanced to the semi-finals. Singapore was the defending champion, but failed to qualify from the group stage.
