Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are the four teams that won tickets to the semi-finals of ASEAN Cup 2026. Leading the four teams are coaches from four different generations.
Tan Cheng Hoe (born in 1968) is the most experienced of these. Currently, his position in the Malaysian national team is still interim, after replacing Peter Cklamovski, who was sacked by the Malaysian Football Federation.
Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe had a lot of experience at the ASEAN Cup. In 2010, he was an assistant to coach Rajagobal, and won the championship with the Malaysian team. That was also Harimau Malaya's only championship in the region's number one arena. In the semi-finals of that year's tournament, the Malaysian team defeated the Vietnamese team.
In 2018, Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe directly led the Malaysian team to the ASEAN Cup. His team played quite successfully when they reached the final. However, in the championship match, the team lost to the Vietnamese team with a final score of 2-3.
Meanwhile, Kim Sang-sik is a coach of the 7x generation. This is the 2nd ASEAN Cup he has directly led the Vietnamese team. The Korean strategist is on a 22-match unbeaten streak with his home team, lasting since the end of 2022.
Mr. Kim Sang-sik has adapted and integrated very quickly with Vietnamese football. He is also highly appreciated for his tactical improvisation ability, using personnel flexibly in matches and tournaments. His next challenge is to successfully defend the title in the regional arena with the Vietnamese national team, something that both predecessors Calisto and Park Hang-seo could not do.
Anthony Hudson, coach of the Thai national team of the 8x generation. He follows a path quite similar to Alexander Polking, who helped the Thai national team win the ASEAN Cup 2020, 2022. Mr. Polking leads the "War Elephant" after having experience working with Thai clubs.
The British strategist did not have the best force at the ASEAN Cup 2026. But he still skillfully combined successfully between veterans and young factors, helping the Thai team become the only team to win all matches and not concede a goal in the group stage.
Since taking office, Hudson has had 10 consecutive unbeaten matches with his home team. With what he has done, Hudson is expected to help the Thai team win the championship for the 8th time in the region.
Gavin Lee is the youngest coach in the semi-finals. He was born in 1990, the same age as Hariss Harun - the captain of the Singapore team. Although still young, Gavin Lee started coaching work at the age of 24, with many levels.
In 2024, he was an assistant to coach Ogura, and together with the Singaporean national team reached the ASEAN Cup semi-finals. After parting ways with Mr. Ogura, the Singapore Football Association (FAS) gave Gavin Lee the opportunity, from a temporary position and then officially appointed.
Under Gavin Lee, the Singapore team is having a very successful period of competition. The team passed the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers before being unbeaten in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2026. The Lion City team has a scientific playing style, strong fighting spirit and rising confidence. Drawing with the Vietnamese team at My Dinh Stadium shows that they are capable of creating a surprise at this year's ASEAN Cup.
If he helps Singapore win the ASEAN Cup this year, Gavin Lee will go down in the history of Singaporean football as well as Southeast Asia. Experience may not be as good as his colleagues, but Gavin Lee's boldness and talent are what he has in abundance.
