Kiatisuk Senamuang facts for kids
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Senamuang with Port in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kiatisuk Senamuang | ||
| Date of birth | 11 August 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Udon Thani, Thailand | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1990 | Nampong Suksa School | ||
| 1991–1992 | Bangkok Commercial School | ||
| 1993–1994 | Dhurakij Pundit University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1995 | Krung Thai Bank | 145 | (98) |
| 1995–1996 | Rajpracha | 27 | (18) |
| 1997–1998 | Royal Thai Police | 25 | (21) |
| 1998–1999 | Perlis | 21 | (22) |
| 1999–2000 | Huddersfield Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Rajpracha | 26 | (18) |
| 2001–2002 | Singapore Armed Forces | 20 | (15) |
| 2002–2006 | Hoàng Anh Gia Lai | 75 | (59) |
| Total | 339 | (251) | |
| National team | |||
| 1990–1992 | Thailand U20 | 11 | (5) |
| 1993–2007 | Thailand | 134 | (71) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2006 | Hoàng Anh Gia Lai | ||
| 2008 | Chula United | ||
| 2008–2009 | Chonburi | ||
| 2010 | Hoàng Anh Gia Lai | ||
| 2011–2012 | Chula United | ||
| 2012–2013 | Bangkok | ||
| 2013–2016 | Thailand U23 | ||
| 2013 | Thailand (caretaker) | ||
| 2014–2017 | Thailand | ||
| 2017 | Port | ||
| 2020–2024 | Hoàng Anh Gia Lai | ||
| 2024 | Công An Hà Nội | ||
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Kiatisuk Senamuang (Thai: เกียรติศักดิ์ เสนาเมือง; born 11 August 1973) is a famous Thai football manager and former player. Fans often call him "Thai Zico" because he was so good, just like the famous Brazilian player.
Kiatisuk played as a striker for 18 years. He scored 251 goals in 339 games! He played for clubs in Malaysia, Singapore, England, and Vietnam, as well as in his home country, Thailand. He also played for the Thailand national football team 131 times, scoring 70 goals. These are Thai national records.
After he stopped playing, Kiatisuk became a successful football manager. He managed the Thai senior team from 2014 to 2017. He also coached the Thailand U-23 team from 2013 to 2016. He even had a short time as a caretaker manager for the main Thai team in 2013.
Contents
Kiatisuk Senamuang: A Football Legend
Early Life and Nickname
Kiatisuk Senamuang was born in Udon Thani, Thailand. He is a Buddhist, like most people in Thailand. Before he became a professional football player, he worked as a police officer. But his real passion was always football.
His friends gave him the nickname Zico. This was to honor his favorite Brazilian football hero, Zico.
Playing Career
Kiatisuk was an amazing player, known for scoring many goals. He played for several clubs and for his national team.
Club Adventures
Kiatisuk played for Perlis FA in Malaysia. In 1999, he joined an English club called Huddersfield Town. However, he didn't play any first-team games there.
After that, he returned to Thailand to play for Rajpracha Sports Club. Later, he moved to Singapore Armed Forces in Singapore. There, he scored 15 goals in 20 games! In 2002, he became a star in Vietnam with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. He helped them win the V.League 1 title many times.
International Star
Kiatisuk played a huge role for the Thailand national football team. He played 131 international matches and scored 70 goals. Both of these numbers are records for Thailand. He was a key player in many important tournaments.
Becoming a Coach
After a successful playing career, Kiatisuk decided to become a football manager. He started coaching right after he stopped playing in 2006.
Coaching in Vietnam
Kiatisuk began his coaching career in Vietnam with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. This was the same club he had played for before.
He returned to Vietnam again in 2010 to manage Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. He led them to the final of the 2010 Vietnamese Cup. However, they lost 0–1 to Sông Lam Nghệ An. In 2020, he came back to Hoàng Anh Gia Lai for a third time. In 2021, his team was in first place when the league was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coaching in Thailand
In 2008, Kiatisuk came back to Thailand to coach Chula United. In 2009, he became the head coach of Chonburi F.C.. He led Chonburi to win the 2009 Kor Royal Cup. His team finished second in the league, getting their highest points ever. Even so, he resigned because they didn't win the league title.
In 2010, Kiatisuk returned to Thailand to coach Chula United again. He helped them get promoted to the top league in 2012. But he resigned after a few games due to poor results. Later that year, he joined Bangkok F.C. and helped them avoid being relegated to a lower league.
Leading the National Team
In 2013, Kiatisuk became the head coach of the Thailand U-23 team. He won his first match with them. In June 2013, he also became the temporary head coach for the main Thailand senior team. His first game with the "War Elephants" was a big 5–1 win against China.
As the U-23 coach, Kiatisuk led the team to win a gold medal at the 2013 SEA Games. He had won four gold medals as a player in the SEA Games from 1993 to 1999. He also led the U-23 team to the semi-finals of the 2014 Asian Games, finishing in 4th place.
Because of his success, Kiatisuk became the permanent head coach of the Thailand national team in 2014. He led Thailand to win the 2014 AFF Championship. He used many young players from his U-23 team. This made him the only person to win the AFF Championship as both a player and a manager.
In 2016, Kiatisuk helped Thailand win the 2016 AFF Championship again, defending their title. They won all their games on the way to the final. Thailand lifted their fifth regional title. Kiatisuk was the third manager to successfully defend the AFF Championship title.
He continued to coach Thailand in the World Cup qualifiers. However, after a tough loss to Japan in March 2017, Kiatisuk stepped down. He had been in charge of the national team for four years. After this, he briefly managed Port F.C. in 2017 before resigning.
Achievements and Awards
Kiatisuk Senamuang has won many awards and titles throughout his career, both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player:
- Thailand National Team:
- AFF Championship: 1996, 2000, 2002
- Sea Games gold medal: 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999
- King's Cup: 1994, 2000, 2006
- Club Teams:
- Kor Royal Cup with Krung Thai Bank: 1989
- S.League with Singapore Armed Forces: 2002
- V.League 1 with Hoang Anh Gia Lai: 2003, 2004
- Vietnamese Super Cup with Hoang Anh Gia Lai: 2003, 2004
- Individual Awards:
- AFF Championship Most Valuable Player: 2000
- V.League 1 Best Foreign Player of the year: 2003, 2004
As a Manager:
- Thailand National Team:
- AFF Championship: 2014, 2016
- King's Cup: 2016
- Thailand U-23 Team:
- SEA Games gold medal: 2013
- Club Teams:
- Kor Royal Cup with Chonburi: 2009
- Individual Awards:
- ASEAN Football Federation Coach of the Year: 2015, 2017
Personal Life
Kiatisuk was born in Udon Thani. He learned to speak Vietnamese fluently after living in Vietnam for a few years. He has three daughters, whose nicknames are Perth, Proud, and Pearl.
See also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
- Top international football goalscorers by country
