Thailand head coach Kiatisuk Senamuang hopes his side can emulate Singapore by claiming at least a point when they face Japan in Tuesday's 2018 AFC World Cup qualifier in Saitama.
The Lions famously held the Samurai Blue to a 0-0 draw in the second stage of World Cup qualifying in June 2015. Kiatisuk admits he would be delighted it the Thais could match that achievement, but knows that it will be extremely tough against the team who sit joint top of Group B.
"We don't know if we can do what Singapore did in Japan but we will try our best," Kiatisuk told ESPN FC. "We want to go for all three points, but we know it will be very difficult. To take one point back home would be a great success for us.
"We know there is a lot of expectation on Japan. It's a big game for them as they are already close to qualifying for Russia. We will work hard and if our players are on top form, it should be a very exciting match."
Kiatisuk insists that the disappointment of last week's 3-0 home defeat to Saudi Arabia has been consigned to the past but is in no doubt about the scale of the challenge his side faces. With qualification for Russia 2018 almost mathematically impossible, The former national striker still hopes the players can benefit from the experiences of the remainder of the campaign.
"We see Japan as the best team in the group," said Kiatisuk. "Their victory over the UAE last week shows how difficult our task will be. However, we have nothing to lose. It's a great opportunity to be playing against a team like Japan who always qualify for the World Cup and we'll do our best to put on a good show in front of our fans in Japan.
"It has been a long time since we had a chance to play in Japan. The players are getting a chance to play against the best team in Asia in a stadium that hosted World Cup games in 2002, so we want them to enjoy the experience."
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Kiatisuk is aware that all eyes will be on playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin, who moves to J League side Consadole Sapporo in the summer.
"Chanathip is one of the best players in Thailand and we are pleased to see him get the chance to play with Consadole," said Kiatisuk. "We want him to show the Japanese fans that there are quality players in Southeast Asia. We want more Thai players to have this opportunity and, like Japan 20 years ago, we want to dream of playing regularly in World Cups."
Skipper Theerathon Bunmathan misses out after his yellow card against Saudi Arabia resulted in a suspension. Along with the long-term injury to central midfielder Sarach Yooyen, this leaves the Thais without two of their key players.
Making the right selections to replace them will be key for Kiatisuk as he seeks to stifle the attacking threat of the Japanese. In the corresponding fixture in Bangkok last year, Thailand were too passive and allowed Japan to take control of the game from the start. The eventual 2-0 victory in the visitors' favour flattered the home side.
Japan head coach Vahid Halilhodzic insists his side are not taking the Thais lightly, but he sees victory as the only option as the Samurai Blue continue their recovery from a poor start to the campaign when they lost at home to the UAE last September.
"After the excellent victory over the U.A.E. last week, I told the players that the win would only have value if we also won the next match against Thailand," said Halilhodzic.
"That doesn't mean we are underestimating Thailand as it will still be a very difficult game. But now that we have recovered from a bad start, we must consolidate our position and it would not be acceptable to let things slip now, even though we must not underestimate the Thai team. We must win.
"We have to try and get the opening goal as quickly as possible and if we don't, we must keep working hard and not allow our heads to drop."
In a genial mood, Halilhodzic also found the time to have a playful pop at the Japanese media when he recalled the pressure he was under last year.
"I never had any doubts about the quality of this team," said Halilhodzic. "You'll remember when people said that when the team loses its first match, they never qualify. Well, we have now put ourselves in a very good position to qualify and we cannot let it slip.
"When you asked me if I was going to quit as head coach of Japan, I loved that. I love the pressure that you put on me. And the more hostile the criticism, the more motivation we have to prove our critics wrong."
Thai fans will be hoping that the critics have reason to put scrutiny back on the Japan boss if they can cause an upset in Saitama.