Thailand moved five places up in October’s World Ranking

War Elephants remain undefeated in Qatar 2022 qualifying

Young talents have starred during early stages of the qualifying campaign

Thailand, under new boss Akira Nishino, have raised quite a few eyebrows in Asia's qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ through their fine displays. Two wins and a draw were the surprising outcomes so far which moved the War Elephants to the top of a challenging group. In the process, despite being held to a goalless draw by Vietnam in the opener, they bounced back to win 3-0 in style against hosts Indonesia before going on to stun United Arab Emirates 2-1 at home.

The reward for their brilliant performances is a five-place leap to 109 in October's FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, becoming Asia's joint best movers of the month alongside Qatar and Iraq. By doing so, Thailand have continued an upward trajectory in the global pecking order since 2014.

Thailand's results in Asia's qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar:

Thailand 0-0 Vietnam

Indonesia 0-3 Thailand

Thailand 2-1 United Arab Emirates

Youthful exuberance

With the entire team excelling, it was their younger players who drew the most attention through some eye-catching performances. Twenty-one-year-old attacker Supachok Sarachat pulled off heroics against Indonesia, scoring twice and earning a penalty to help his side to three points. And as if not to be outdone, 20-year-old midfielder Ekanit Panya set up one and scored another as Thailand sank formidable UAE in the last outing.

"I was very happy for what I did for my team [against the UAE]," Panya told FIFA.com reflecting on the memorable win. "We grabbed three crucial points and I was very excited. But of course, all the credit should go to all my team-mates who provide support for each other and that is why we can deliver good results and do our fans proud."