Thailand Coach Hudson Confident After Squad Announcement for ASEAN Cup 2026

Anthony Hudson, head coach of the Thailand national football team, spoke to the media after announcing the 23-player squad for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, scheduled to be held in Indonesia from September 26 to October 5, 2026. Hudson stated, "I am satisfied and excited to work with this group of players. As I've said before, the three previous camps were different – the Asian Cup qualifiers, the FIFA Days in June, and now the ASEAN Cup, each presented different challenges. In June, after a long season, we had a squad selection after a four-week break. For the ASEAN Cup, we tried to select the best players from the pool we have." He added, "From this camp onwards, leading up to the Asian Cup early next year, I hope we can improve our ability to select the best players. Of course, we want the strongest team. We will try to develop and build upon the team for the Asian Cup. Player injuries and unavailability are normal occurrences, and we will focus on preparing the best possible squad for the Asian Cup." Regarding the left-back position, Hudson noted, "We don't just have Nicholas Mickelson; we also have Chaipol Adton. He has the ability to play both left-back and midfield, and he performed very well in the ASEAN Cup. Last weekend, I saw him play left-back for Port FC, and his performance was good. With Chaipol in this position, he can certainly be a valuable addition and cover for the FIFA ASEAN Cup." Discussing the upcoming match against Vietnam, he said, "When we faced Vietnam again in the FIFA ASEAN Cup final, they had their best squad and had been preparing for over two months. I was satisfied with what the players did in both games of the final, handling Vietnam's strongest lineup. Personally, I was disappointed with the result, but overall, if we look beyond the score, I am proud of all the players." "However, we still have one more game to play before facing Vietnam. I believe that both myself and all the players are excited and can't wait to face them again," he concluded. Finally, Hudson expressed his gratitude, "I must thank all the clubs for sending their players to join the team, the association for their support, and all the encouragement from the Thai fans." The selected players will report to the Novotel Future Park Rangsit Hotel on September 21, 2026, at 1:00 PM, and will commence training that evening at the BG Training Center. The Thailand national team's schedule for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 group stage is as follows: Pakistan vs. Thailand September 26, 2026 4:00 PM Sijalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung, Indonesia Thailand vs. Vietnam September 29, 2026 7:30 PM Thailand vs. Philippines October 2, 2026 Final / 3rd Place Play-off October 5, 2026 Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia