Hudson Confident Thailand Can Compete for 2026 AFF Championship

Thailand national football team head coach Anthony Hudson acknowledged that his squad will enter the 2026 AFF Championship with lower fitness levels than some other nations, but expressed confidence they can still perform well. The team departed for Laos on July 23 to begin Group B qualifying matches, with their first game against Laos scheduled for July 25, led by Anthony Hudson with a 24-player squad that had been training together since July 14.

Hudson stated that the camp featured many new players, with the primary goal of ensuring all athletes understood the team's playing philosophy. He noted that players arrived with different fitness levels from their clubs' varying preseason schedules, and the coaching staff worked to maximize their conditioning. "Before we faced Laos, there were no problems, and we considered ourselves well-prepared," he said.

During the tournament, Hudson emphasized the focus would be on match fitness development in each game. He expressed strong confidence in all his players, including younger players and newcomers who performed well during training. "Our immediate goal is to secure victory over Laos in the first match and continue developing in each subsequent game," he said.

Hudson acknowledged that Thailand's physical conditioning was less intense than some other nations that had prepared earlier, with some countries having longer team preparation periods and warm-up matches. However, he stressed that throughout the camp, every player had worked to push themselves and build their fitness to the expected level. "This is the preseason phase, so fitness development is naturally part of the process," he explained.

Midfielder Saraç Uygun said the key factor was physical condition, noting that while Thailand started training later than others, the coaching staff had invested heavily in building their strength throughout the camp. He acknowledged that the AFF Championship is not an easy tournament, as every team has quality and various factors affect the competition, including travel and fan influence. "When the tournament arrives, there are no excuses—we must give our best performance," he said.

Defender Manuel Tom Bier commented that he observed strong team unity in camp, with young star players joking around with him in a fun atmosphere. He noted they had two more training sessions before the first match and expressed optimism about starting the tournament well.