After 5 matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in Group D, Thailand and Turkmenistan have 12 points each. Thailand is slightly better than the Central Asian team in terms of goal difference but still ranks behind the opponent due to head-to-head record. In the first leg, Turkmenistan won against Thailand 3-1 at home. To win a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup, Thailand must beat their opponent in the home match on March 31st.
We are not complacent and must prepare well. We need confidence in the players, physical readiness and most importantly their mental state. I believe that with all the quality players we have in the team, if we prepare everything carefully and the players are ready, I believe that the match on March 31 will have a good result," Anthony Hudson said.
Anthony Hudson is an English coach, with many years of experience working in Bahrain, the United States, and New Zealand. He was assigned to lead the Thai national team at the end of 2025, replacing Masatada Ishii. In the first two matches he coached, he helped the Thai national team defeat Singapore 3-2 and Sri Lanka 4-0.
However, these victories will not be of much significance if the Thai team does not win against Turkmenistan in the upcoming match. “I respect the Turkmenistan team very much, because they have the same goal as us. We only have one goal in this gathering and I place my trust in all the players and coaching staff. I also want fans to come to the stadium to cheer for the Thai team,” Anthony Hudson said.
The Thai team will not play a friendly match before the match against Turkmenistan. Conversely, the Central Asian team will meet the Lao team away from home before moving to Thailand. In the FIFA rankings, the Thai team is ranked 96th, far ahead of Turkmenistan (137), but that does not guarantee an easy victory for the Hudson team.
If they win a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup, the Thai team will follow in the footsteps of Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. In Southeast Asia, in addition to the Thai team, the Philippines team also has a chance to participate in the continent's number 1 tournament if they defeat the Tajikistan team in the final round of the qualifiers on March 31st.
