Thailand, the most successful team in this arena with 7 championships, will start ASEAN Cup 2026 with a guest match against Laos on the evening of July 25. This year, "War Elephants" - the nickname of the Thai team - gathered late and also did not have the strongest squad. They called up many new players, few names combined with experienced players.
The Thai team needs to start well. We will enter this match with a positive mentality, play strong attack and try to move forward. Thailand has many young players in the team, and they are all very good and promising players.
I have great faith in them. We don't need to put pressure on the players, and I won't put pressure on them. I want them to take the field, show themselves and affirm their qualities," Anthony Hudson said at a press conference before the match against Laos.
The British strategist also once again affirmed that the Thai team is not the brightest candidate for the championship. He shared: "I can say that we are not the brightest candidates. Our squad has many young players, and many of them have promising talents.
I don't want to put pressure on my students. I will try to help them show their best form on the field. Currently, everyone has a very good and admirable determination. My task is to inspire them to be brave and dedicate themselves when entering this match.
Previously, through a meeting with the chairman of the Football Association of Thailand, Ms. Nualphan Lamsam, Mr. Hudson emphasized that the team's goal at this year's ASEAN Cup is to go as far as possible. This strategist is also very interested in the Vietnamese team - the defending champion of the tournament.
He said: "I think we cannot underestimate the Vietnamese national team because, as we all know, they have had a long preparation period and have called in the best players for this tournament. We cannot ignore them as one of the candidates for the championship.
Meanwhile, Lao national team coach Vladica Grujic emphasized that the whole team is ready for the match against Thailand. He said: "We know that Thailand is one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia and is a championship candidate, but we will play at home. With the support of the fans, everything is possible. We will do everything we can to achieve a good result.
The Laos vs Thailand match will take place at 8:00 PM on July 25th.
