Manolo Marquez rues missed chances as India suffer bitter loss to Thailand

Manolo Marquez’s India will now go on to face Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier.

Manolo Marquez’s India suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to Thailand in their international friendly game on Wednesday, 4 June 2025. The Blue Tigers conceded two goals in each half, with goals from Ben Davis (8′) and Poramet Ajvirai (59′) to sustain a bitter loss in the build-up to their upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong.

On missed chances against Thailand

Manolo Marquez was understandably dejected with his side’s loss against Thailand, but insisted that the situation could’ve been different had the Blue Tigers been more clinical in front of goal. After the game, he stated: “The reality is that when you don’t score the clear chances we had, you usually lose matches. We started the first 4-5 minutes fine, but when they scored the first goal, we were out for some minutes, and when we entered the game again, I think we had clear chances one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

“If you don’t score, Thailand have very good players and those who play in competition like Japan. Their second goal was fantastic. We lost the ball in a dangerous action on the flank, which allowed them to recover the ball and score a goal from a great counterattack. We tried everything, but practically the goal was after the second goal,” Manolo Marquez also added.

On players’ performances

When asked about whether he expected his players to perform better against Thailand, Manolo Marquez explained: “You can always perform better, without self-criticism, there is no improvement. We could play better than today, but Indian football usually lacks physical conditions.

“Even now, it’s true that Indian football is not in a good moment in general, but I don’t want to criticise the effort of my players today. It was a similar game to that in Vietnam, and we equalised there. Today we had more clear chances, but if you don’t score, the other team is a good team, and even they could’ve scored more goals as well,” Manolo Marquez also added.

The Indian football team will return to action when they travel to face Hong Kong in their second game of the AFC Asian Cup 2025 group stages on June 10, 2025.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.