Ikeda believes Chaba Kaew has the potential to go to the World Cup, reveals the team emphasizes a fighting style
After the Football Association of Thailand appointed Futoshi Ikeda, former coach of the Japanese women’s football team, to be the head coach of the “Chaba Kaew”, the senior Thai national women’s football team, with the goal of going to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Recently, on January 15, Futoshi Ikeda had the opportunity to hold his first official press conference at the Football Association of Thailand office. Futoshi Ikeda brought in two Japanese staff members to join the team: Yuiko Konno and Yoshiaki Nagai.

Ikeda said that he would like to thank “Madam Pang” Nualphan Lamsam, the president of the association, for choosing him to be the head coach of the Thai national team. He chose to coach the Thai national team because he saw that the women’s football team had the potential to go to the เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย World Cup, so he did not take long to decide to coach the Thai national team. He wanted to develop Thai women’s football and asked everyone to join the fight together.
“We know that going to the World Cup is not easy. We need good support from the association. The players, and all the staff. We want to create a good experience for the Thai women’s national football team and will try our best,” Ikeda said
The new Chaba Kaew coach added that on January 20. The first call for players to the camp will be made. The selection of players was discussed with the entire women’s football team and discussed throughout. In the first camp, we want to see the potential of the athletes and get to know them. As much as possible before we see what kind of team we will make. However, we want everyone to have confidence and develop together.
“First, you have to learn about the players and the potential of the team. Then see which game plan is suitable for which players. Who is suitable for which game? Personally, I like to play in an offensive team, like to play aggressively, press the opponent and play hard,” Ikeda said
The reporter asked about the association’s project to find half-blooded players to strengthen the national team. Will it be involved in the selection? Ikeda said that it is a good project to expand the perspective of Thai players around the world. Selecting players is considered an important part. Players who play abroad should have more experience than Thai players. If they have the potential. They are ready to be selected to represent the national team as well.
When asked about living in Thailand, Ikeda said that he would try to learn Thai culture, but in terms of football, he thought it was not much different. He had talked with both Masatada Ishii and Takayuki Nishigaya, who are head coaches of the senior men’s team and the U23 team, and had a change of experience working together. He had to thank both of them for their help. As for Miyo Okamoto, the former coach of the Thai women’s football team. They also talked to each other and told him about the attractiveness of Thailand.
“Thailand, the people are kind and warm, but no one has recommended many places to visit. The past week, I focused on football only, watching Thai League football. However, Thai food is very delicious. It was a really fun week,” Ikeda concluded.
For the Thai women’s national football team, they will have a training camp between 20-25 January before joining the special tournament “Pink Ladies Cup” in Dubai, United Arab Emirates between 19-27 February and the 2026 AFC Women’s Championship qualifiers in June and the SEA Games in Thailand this December