The Chonburi-based 24-year-old was voted Player of the Match for her performance in Thailand’s 3-1 win, and revealed her delight at the Southeast Asian nation’s return to the global championship.

“I’m incredibly happy that we’re going back to the World Cup for the second time,” she said, adding “It’s going to be another challenge and test for us to see if we can do better than last time.”

“Tonight’s result was a reward for our efforts and preparation. I’m really proud of our efforts and I’m really happy.”

Having become the first Thai head coach to achieve World Cup qualification in 2014, the 46-year-old tactician ensured the Southeast Asians will return to the world stage, and revealed her satisfaction at the achievement.

“Right now, I’m very happy,” she said, adding “we finally reached our target and our goal for the tournament.”

“Amongst the pressure and the expectation of the fans, it’s a really happy moment now that we’ve made it. We know we’ll have to play better and face tougher tests at the tournament next year. I think the teams from Asia are among the best, so if we can compete at this level, we can also play at the higher level.”

As was the case when Thailand secured qualification by beating Vietnam four years ago, Kanjana Sung-Ngeon played a pivotal role, scoring twice on a night where both sides created many chances in front of goal, and Nuengrutai heaped praised the veteran.

Kanjana Sung-Ngoen, the two-goal hero when Thailand booked their ticket to the global showpiece four years ago, wrote her name into the history books yet again with a goal in each half, before Silawan Intamee reprised her role as Southeast Asia’s set piece specialist to make it three.

The Philippines, who scored a late consolation goal through Jesse Shugg, can no longer win the tournament, but the opportunity to qualify for France 2019 remains if they can win Monday’s playoff for the fifth place.

It was the type of scenario only football can provide.

Two countries from Southeast Asia playing a unique regional derby in one of the westernmost nations in the Continent to decide who would represent it at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Thailand had been there before, reaching the global showpiece for the first time four years ago, while the Philippines had never qualified, or ever seemed likely to, until their remarkable recent improvement.

 

The Icelandic tactician’s statement came after he had watched the East Asians round off their Group A campaign with a comfortable 8-1 win over Jordan – their third successive preliminary stage victory – at the Amman International Stadium on Thursday.

Despite the relative ease with which his table-topping side has moved into the tournament’s knockout phase and qualified for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, Eyjolfsson believes the eight-time Asian champions having nothing to fear when they face one of Australia, Japan or Korea Republic in the last four next Tuesday.