Thailand coach highlights major advantage ahead of ASEAN Cup 2026 final

Anthony Hudson, head coach of the Thailand national team, affirmed that he and his players hold a major edge ahead of the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, particularly in terms of recovery time.

In the second leg of the semifinal on the evening of August 18, Thailand lost 1-2 to Singapore but still advanced with a 4-3 aggregate victory to secure a spot in the final.

"First of all, I am proud that the players helped the team reach the final as planned. This squad is a mix of young players and experienced seniors. I am proud of everyone. However, the result of this match is disappointing. I think we could have done better, especially since we had several good chances to equalize," Hudson said.

For the final, we have three days to prepare. We have one more rest day than the other team. We will review today's performance and try to correct the mistakes. Many factors changed the course of this match. In the first half, the players were tired, and we had to make several substitutions due to cramps. But we still have enough time to prepare for the final.

I have to admit that Singapore is a strong team. They caused a lot of difficulties for Vietnam and Indonesia as well. Both matches against Singapore were very tough. I am not too worried about the team's preparation after this game.

We are always asked about our playing style. I don't want to go too deep into the tactical details of the match, but in the last two games we had to play within three days, not including travel time. We have many new players and had to face a team that performed very well in the group stage. The physical condition of each player prevented them from fully executing the style we wanted.

Whenever the results are not as desired, questions arise. That is also the expectation of all fans regarding how many goals we should win by. But in the end, we made it to the final.

We had to play a match every three days during the pre-season period. This is normally the time when players need to build fitness for the new season, but we had to compete continuously. Therefore, it is very difficult to build the kind of football we want. I understand that people asking questions is normal.

Some people in the team told me that this squad has faced a lot of criticism, especially about the quality of the players, and that we might not go far. But now we are in the final. I am very proud of all the players. We overcame the semifinals, with the senior players helping to guide the team to the final. I am very proud. Having to constantly prepare for matches every two or three days makes me even prouder of them.

The most important thing before the final is that we have one extra day to prepare compared to our opponent. That is a huge difference. Perhaps many people do not understand the context of this tournament—that it takes place during the pre-season, and we continuously face strong opponents.

On the first day the players gathered, some had only trained with their clubs for a few days. Now we have to help the players recover physically so they can enter the first leg of the final in the best condition. We will try to do what we want and prepare our game plan well.

Today's match is a clear example of fatigue. It is important to remember that it is currently the pre-season period. Even though the players' physical condition is not fully ready, we still achieved our goal. There may still be questions, but we are in the final.

Regarding the tactical preparation for the two matches against Singapore, there was actually not much difference; we used the same approach. The difference lies in the development of the players, and Singapore also did very well.

They have shown progress since the Asian Cup, where they qualified for the finals. The past two matches, along with what Singapore showed in the group stage, indicate they are playing very well. I think Singapore has changed now.

I also want to praise Gavin Lee because he has done a great job. They also received encouragement and support from their fans. I think Singapore is on the right track and will become even stronger in the future.

In the next match, Thailand will play the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final against the winner of the Vietnam - Malaysia pair at Rajamangala Stadium on August 22, 2026, at 8:00 PM.