FOOTBALL – ASIAN Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain met yesterday with The Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) president Nualphan Lamsam.
During their meeting, Shaikh Salman expressed his gratitude to FA Thailand for their warm hospitality ahead of the 34th AFC Congress, which will be held in Bangkok tomorrow.
The AFC chief congratulated Lamsam on becoming the first female president of an AFC member association after being successfully elected earlier this year. He also acknowledged the meticulous attention to detail displayed by FA Thailand, which will also become the first ASEAN nation to host the 74th Fifa Congress on Friday.
Shaikh Salman paid tribute to FA Thailand for their long-standing co-operation and support in hosting the AFC’s various events and competitions, including the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2024, which concluded last month.
Shaikh Salman said: “In every way, The Football Association of Thailand exemplifies the values of solidarity and unity that has become synonymous with Asian football over the years.”
The AFC president also praised the achievements of Thai football on the pitch, with the men’s national team advancing to the round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar earlier this year. The Thai futsal side also reached the final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup and consequently sealed their place in the Fifa Futsal World Cup, which is to be played in Uzbekistan in September this year.
“The recent strides achieved by Thai football is a tribute to the leadership under president Lamsam and I want to assure FA Thailand that the AFC stands ready to offer our assistance to all our members, as we strive to elevate the standards of the Asian game,” Shaikh Salman said.
The FA Thailand chief expressed her gratitude to Shaikh Salman, hailing the efforts of the AFC to uplift the beautiful game across the continent. She reinforced her commitment to further strengthening the spirit of collaboration between FA Thailand and the AFC.
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