Thailand coach Phomrat Choktavee yesterday termed the crowd factor as the major difference before congratulating Bangladesh for sealing a spot in the final of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup.
The Thai coach said it was the crowd that inspired the home team. “Playing in front of the big crowd definitely has an effect. Regarding the concentration, I must say it (crowd) helped and inspired the Bangladesh players and had an adverse [effect] on my team,” said Choktavee after the end of their semifinal against the hosts at Bangabandhu National Stadium.
The Thai coach pointed out that the Bangladesh defence had a superb day and kept his attackers at bay. “The Bangladesh defence put up a good show and succeeded in stopping my attackers in the important zones. During the interval, I asked my players to play more in the ground rather than playing it in the air. However, we could not do it. Congratulations to Bangladesh and I can say we are taking a lot of good experience from the tournament,” he added.