Thailand will face Indonesia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 final at 8 PM on October 5th at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta). Previously, in Group B, Thailand topped the group with 6 points, level with Vietnam but ahead after defeating Kim Sang-sik's team 2-0 in the second match.
Coach Anthony Hudson shared at the press conference before the final on the afternoon of October 4th: “ Thailand is the first team in this tournament to advance from the group stage to the final. We were fortunate to do that in a very competitive group.”
The English coach emphasized: “Thailand has to face Vietnam, one of the teams considered a contender for the championship, and a team we haven't been able to beat in almost three years. That's a huge challenge for us.”
Winning against Vietnam and securing an early spot in the final brought significant benefits to Thailand. Coach Hudson could rotate the squad instead of continuing to use the same group of players who played a match every three days in the group stage. Therefore, although Thailand later lost to the Philippines, this result did not affect their position in the final.
Coach Hudson further explained: “I want all the players to get playing time, to contribute, and to feel like they are truly part of the team. I’ve emphasized this to the players and to do what I think is best right now. I want the team to go into the final with around 7-9 players who haven’t played continuously in the previous three games and will be back for the final.”
In the final, Thailand will have to play in the "cauldron" of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia. Coach Hudson commented: "We will witness a thrilling and dramatic final. Both teams are excellent, and the atmosphere in the stadium will certainly be impressive."
He continued: “Thailand has watched previous matches and can feel the determination and enthusiasm of the fans for the Indonesian national team. We ourselves are also very eager to play in front of these fans. Indonesia is a physically strong team, inclined towards attack and quick, direct ball movement.”
Source: https://thethao.sggp.org.vn/thai-lan-lay-tran-thang-tuyen-viet-nam-lam-dong-luc-cho-chung-ket-fifa-asean-cup-post874885.html
