Thailand Beats Myanmar 2-0, Advances to Cup Semifinals

Thailand's national football team defeated Myanmar 2-0 on penalties from Worrachit Kaniitsareebaumphen and Jehhanafi Mama, securing Group B victory and advancing to the semi-finals of the 2026 AFF Cup.

Head coach Anthony Hudson praised the team's effort, saying "First, I want to thank the fans for their support throughout this period. I'm satisfied with the results—we managed to keep four clean sheets and advance to the semi-finals. This match we didn't use any players suspended on yellow cards. Everyone deserves credit for giving their best effort." Hudson explained his choice of penalty takers: "We had some light training yesterday, and I selected Worrachit for the first penalty. For the second, I couldn't overlook Jehhanafi because he performed well in finishing drills and penalty practice. Both deserve credit for their bravery in taking responsibility."

Hudson added, "To be honest, I'm proud of everyone. Their form has been good and we achieved the results we targeted, though many were tired. That's why I tried to maintain intensity and pressure the opposition. Our immediate focus is player recovery—one day rest, then Monday we plan for the Singapore match. I'll decide the primary penalty taker weekly; everyone performed excellently, whether starters or substitutes. Right now, the priority is team preparation and tactical planning. We want to improve fitness and elevate our play further. The decision on the primary penalty taker will come later."

On the tournament philosophy, Hudson explained: "We divided the campaign into three phases: first, to win matches and qualify for the Asian Cup rounds; second, considering most players were in club leagues four weeks prior, we had to adjust tactically without being harsh on them; and now we're building plans while players are still in pre-season. Today we rested key yellow-carded players, and some lacked energy and activity, especially in the first half. We had good chances but some players tired badly in the second half, so we adjusted style and made substitutions with responsive players, which proved quite satisfactory."

Jehhanafi Mama, named Player of the Match, said he was satisfied with scoring but acknowledged missed opportunities. "I didn't feel much pressure on the penalty. I was confident because my family was watching—I wanted to make my parents proud and score for Thailand."

Thailand's next match in the 2026 AFF Cup semi-final will be against Singapore (world ranking 148) at Jalan Besar Stadium on August 15, 2025, with live broadcast on TrueVisions Now.