With Thai media, the rematch against Vietnam on September 29 received special attention. A leading newspaper in the Land of the Golden Temple said that FIFA ASEAN Cup is the time for coach Anthony Hudson to show more clearly the direction of building the team. The newspaper emphasized that Thailand "cannot lose to Vietnam anymore" after the defeat in the ASEAN Cup final.
“The FIFA ASEAN Cup is in the FIFA Days system, so Thailand has better conditions to call up forces than the ASEAN Cup 2026, a tournament not in the FIFA Days schedule. This is seen as an opportunity for Mr. Hudson to use experienced players and assess the strength of the team more accurately,” this newspaper wrote.
However, Thai media also raised the issue of the ability to meet the competition intensity of the older players group. Chanathip, 33 years old, Theerathon, 36 years old, and Teerasil Dangda, 38 years old, are the faces expected to be in the squad. Previously, Thailand also used many players over 30 years old in the ASEAN Cup.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Bola newspaper focused on the losses of the Vietnamese team when defender Nguyen Van Vi could not participate in the tournament due to injury. This newspaper called Van Vi a "nightmare" for the archipelago team, recalling the opening goal of the defender born in 1998 in Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Indonesia at the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Indonesia's leading newspaper emphasized that Van Vi's absence could affect Vietnam's strength at the FIFA ASEAN Cup, and assessed that the Vietnamese team is the top candidate for the championship when coach Kim Sang-sik will continue to call up the best players.
FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 takes place from September 24 to October 5 in Indonesia. The Vietnamese team will meet the Philippines on September 26, Thailand on September 29 and Pakistan on October 2.
