Thailand loses the 2023 King's Cup after a penalty shootout against Iraq.

Thailand loses the 2023 King's Cup after a penalty shootout against Iraq.
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The Thai national team sadly misses out on winning the King's Cup 2023 football tournament, after losing in a penalty shootout against Iraq. This leads to the Iraqi national team securing the championship.
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September 10, 2023 - His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn graciously appointed General Chalermchai Sitthisart as his representative to attend and present the royal trophy to the winning team of the 49th King's Cup football tournament, also known as the "King's Cup 2023." The tournament took place at the 700th Anniversary Chiang Mai Sports Complex in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province. Mr. Nirat Pongsitthitaworn, the Governor of Chiang Mai Province, and Mr. Wirapong Ritrod, the Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai Province, were also in attendance along with relevant agencies and the public.
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The first match of the day began at 17:30. It was the third-place playoff between the national teams of India and Lebanon. In the first half, neither team managed to score, resulting in a 0-0 draw. However, in the second half of the match, Lebanon was able to score one goal, the only goal of the game resulting in a victory for the Lebanese national team with a final score of 1-0.
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The following match at 20:30 was the highlight of the evening's competition with both Thai and Chiang Mai football fans eagerly gathered at the stadium. This was the championship match between the Thai and Iraqi national team. Despite the persistent rain during the match, the game was intense and thrilling. In less than 10 minutes, Iraq took the lead with a goal, putting Thailand behind 1-0. However, in the 37th minute, player number 12, Nicholas Mickelson, scored a goal for Thailand, equalizing the score to 1-1. This created a lot of excitement among the audience before the end of the first half. In the second half, Iraq managed to score again, leading 2-1. Nevertheless, the Thai national team continued to fight and managed to equalize once more, making it 2-2 in the closing minutes of the game. This led to an electrifying atmosphere in the stadium. The game ended after 90 minutes, with both teams unable to score further, resulting in a 2-2 draw. The winner had to be decided by a penalty shootout, where Iraq proved to be more skillful, winning 5-4 on penalties. They claimed the 49th King's Cup football championship in a grand victory.
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On this occasion, General Chalermchai Sitthisart presented commemorative medals to the athletes, as well as to the team, coaches, officials, and the judging panel who participated in this competition. The royal trophy was also awarded to the Iraqi national team, the champions of the 2023 King's Cup football tournament.