Hudson Confident Thailand Can Beat Vietnam in AFF Cup Final
Thailand coach Anthony Hudson expressed confidence ahead of the AFF Cup final first leg against defending champions Vietnam on August 22, saying his team is well-prepared and ready to claim the championship at home.
Thailand national team coach Anthony Hudson confirmed he is not taking Vietnam lightly, despite dismissing reports about Vietnam's use of naturalized foreign players, and pledged to bring the championship home. On August 21 at Rajamangala Stadium, the Asian Football Confederation held a press conference ahead of the first leg of the 2026 AFF Cup final, where Thailand—the defending runners-up—will host Vietnam, the defending champions, on August 22 at 8:00 PM.
Anthony Hudson stated: "Our team preparation has gone very well. We've had good training sessions recently. We have one extra day to prepare compared to Vietnam, which gives our players time to recover and rest. We've planned well, and the team is moving in the right direction."
"Vietnam is certainly a very strong team. We respect them, and once we see how they play, we've prepared to counter their approach. I have full confidence in my players. We need to ensure our athletes deliver outstanding performances."
Regarding reports that Vietnam's coach believes forward Rafaelson will score a hat-trick against Thailand and that Vietnamese media don't view Thailand as the strongest championship contender, Hudson said: "I haven't heard those comments, but I acknowledge Vietnam entered the tournament with excellent preparation and is the favorite. When there are high expectations, there's also pressure. For Thailand, our first priority was building fitness, then capturing results. We've succeeded in reaching the final."
"Although our team might be viewed as not strong enough to be champions, our players have shown personal strength. Everyone has performed well to reach this stage, and at this level, anything is possible. We hope to do well."
On statistics showing Thailand won the championship only once in three previous finals against Vietnam, Hudson said: "I don't pay much attention to that because every team and every squad varies with different players. While statistics may influence fans, all that is behind us. We must focus on the match ahead and secure victory."
On comments by Dr. Chanunyathon Polcheewan that Vietnam is not ordinary Vietnam but "Vietnam Plus" due to naturalized foreign players, Hudson said: "I acknowledge Vietnam's approach of recruiting foreign players who obtain citizenship. Personally, I have no problem with that. I applaud Vietnam for successfully bringing quality players into this tournament. We simply need to prepare our strategy to face them."
"We are very well prepared. The coach has already devised a plan for facing Vietnam. While we're excited about playing in the final against Vietnam, we must execute the coach's strategy and our goal is to win at home, then claim the trophy in Vietnam."
On the possibility of facing aggressive play or rough challenges from Vietnam, Hudson said: "I'm not too concerned because there's VAR technology. I believe they won't risk anything extreme. Our goal is to become champions, so we'll secure victory at home and go collect the trophy in Vietnam."
