Thailand's come-from-behind 2-1 victory over regional arch-rivals Vietnam in LP Bank Cup game away in Hanoi on Tuesday night has left their coach Masatada Ishii feeling upbeat about the future.
The War Elephants had left out several big names, including playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin and striker Teerasil Dangda, from their squad for the three-nation event in Hanoi.
Thailand were scheduled to face Russia on Saturday night but the match was called off after Typhoon Yagi hit Hanoi and other parts of Vietnam.
Hosts Vietnam surged ahead in the 21st minute when striker Nguyen Thien Linh struck, but the Thais needed only five minutes to get on an even footing thanks to a fine effort by Suphanat Mueanta.
Patrik Gustavsson then fired home the winner after 40 minutes to get on the scoresheet in his debut game for the senior national team.
Ishii was all praise for his men -- especially Suphanat -- after the game.
"While it did allow us extra time to prepare for the Vietnam game, it's a pity that our match with Russia had to be cancelled," said the Japanese coach.
"In the beginning, the Vietnamese played a quick attacking game which made us concede the goal. We made a few adjustments and were able to hit back with two goals.
"Every player performed the way we expected him to, but Suphanat stood out for his versatility -- he did exceptionally well both as a winger and striker. I can't say which position suits him more, but he just gets in the mix of everything in an amazingly effective way.
"I have told the players to go back to their clubs and try to upgrade their game further. This is a bunch of players with great potential. They are all in with a chance to be a part of the national team in the future again."
Vietnam coach Kim Sang-Sik said: "I wanted to win this match, so as the head coach, I am not satisfied. After all the damage caused by the typhoon, I wanted to give the Vietnamese people something to cheer about.
"The match between Russia and Thailand didn't take place, so we went into the match without any in-depth analysis of this Thai team."
Thailand will next take part in the 50th King's Cup football tournament, which will take place in Songkhla next month during the Fifa Day break.