Thailand midfielder Charyl Chappuis says he is determined to bring home the coveted Suzuki Cup when his team take on Malaysia in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup final at the National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.
The Thais hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg after a penalty from Chappuis and a 84th minute strike from Kroekrit Thaweekarn. It gives the three-time champions a huge boost going into the second leg, which is expected to be played out in front of a full-house 90,000 crowd at Bukit Jalil.
Speaking to ESPN FC on the eve of the game, the Swiss-born playmaker said: "We came here to bring the trophy back to Thailand and we will give everything in the game and enjoy what will be a fantastic atmosphere.
"It's not going to be easy. I think with Malaysia playing at home, they will try everything. They will definitely press us high up the pitch but we know how to play our own game. Like I said, we will enjoy this game, full stadium expected so we will go out there and have fun."
He also has the individual challenge of winning the tournament's golden boot award. Vietnam's Le Cong Vinh and Malaysia's Safiq Rahim are tied on four goals at the top. Chappuis and his teammate Kroekrit have each scored three goals. If either one of them find the net on Saturday, the golden boot award could be won by three players for the second time in Suzuki Cup history. In 2008, Indonesia's Budi Sudarsono, Singapore's Agu Casmir and Thailand's Teerasil Dangda all shared the top scorer honours.
Despite having the chance to win the golden boot, Chappuis is refusing to be distracted. He insists that the War Elephants have come so far because of their team effort instead of the individual brilliance of any single player.
"I'm not thinking about the golden boot. From the start of the tournament, I have already said we are in this together as a team and it really doesn't matter who wins the golden boot award. I really don't care about that at all. We just want to win the tournament." said the Suphanburi FC player.
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With most of this Thai squad all eligible to play in the 2015 edition of the Southeast Asia Games, which they won back in 2013, Chappuis knows how significant this moment is for the Kingdom and the future of Thai football.
"This is a big step for us. We are a young team who are still improving and learning every single day. Last year, we only just played in the Southeast Asian games last year and this time, we are playing here in the Suzuki Cup. It is good for Thailand and we will try everything to get this trophy."
As for his own future in football, the Swiss-born playmaker made it clear that he is loving life in Thailand at the moment. But he is still eyeing a possible move back to a European club in the future.
He added: "I've been playing for two years in Thailand (for Buriram United FC and Suphanburi FC) and everything has happened very fast for me. I'm enjoying this moment (with the national team) and I'm really happy that this happened. The media attention and stuff is just extra for me. Most important is to focus on my football. I'm a footballer and that is all that matters."
Thailand are on course to win their fourth ASEAN crown to join Singapore as the joint-record holder. Their previous titles came in 1996, 2000 and 2002. Then came a 12-year drought, despite reaching the final in 2007, 2008 and 2012.
If Malaysia can overturn the two-goal deficit in front of their own fans, they will become only the third team in Suzuki Cup history -- joining Thailand and Singapore -- to win the tournament more than once. Their previous title came in 2010 under Dato K. Rajagobal when they defeated Indonesia in the final.