Anthony Hudson revealed his plans ahead of the Thailand national team’s match against Turkmenistan. Meanwhile, Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul spoke about the future direction of Thailand’s U-23 team.
On 10 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Anthony Hudson revealed his plans ahead of the "War Elephants," Thailand’s senior national team, facing Turkmenistan. Meanwhile, Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul discussed the future direction of Thailand’s U-23 team. Both are coordinating to move forward in the same direction.
Anthony Hudson said, "We held a joint meeting with the U-23 team to discuss player selection because the senior Thailand team will have fixtures during the FIFA window, as will the U-23s, so some players may overlap. An important point was aligning our concepts to move forward together. It’s normal for the two national teams to work together to benefit both squads as much as possible."
"My plan from now on is to work hard studying our own team and carefully analyze Turkmenistan—examining their playing culture, style, and characteristics, as well as clubs in the Turkmenistan league—to ensure our team understands them fully before the upcoming match."
"During the remaining five weeks, every week we will have specific topics and assign each coaching staff to work on finding the best approach. As you know, this match is very important, and our only goal is to beat them to qualify for the Asian Cup final round."
"Regarding this training camp, as you know, we won’t have any friendly matches. This is not new to me. We will simulate the opponent’s game as intensively and realistically as possible, just like when I worked with the U.S. team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the team performed well, finishing second in the group and advancing to the knockout stage."
"Another important factor is the number of training days. From experience during the November FIFA window, when we played against Singapore before traveling to Sri Lanka, there were many details including recovery and travel, which gave us only 2-3 sessions to train tactics. This time, we want more time to work on tactics so the team will be fully prepared for this crucial game."
"Of course, for this match, we want the support and cheers from Thai fans. Every bit of support will energize our players. On 31 March 2026 GMT+7, I invite everyone to come cheer for the Thailand national team together at Rajamangala Stadium. Thank you."
Meanwhile, Coach Wang Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul said, "This meeting is good as it helps us set the direction and manage player usage during the March FIFA window. Of course, the senior Thailand team comes first due to their final Asian Cup qualifier match. Meanwhile, we have friendlies lined up to prepare for the Asian Games in March."
"So, as you can see, we are ready to let them select players first, including standbys. If someone gets injured after selection, we’ll have to solve problems on the spot. We need to have primary and backup plans to support each other to maximize benefits for both national teams through careful preparation and planning."
The senior Thailand national team will play the Asian Cup 2027 qualifying Group D match 6 against Turkmenistan on 31 March 2026 GMT+7. Meanwhile, the Thailand U-23 team will hold training camps and international friendlies during the March FIFA window to prepare for the Asian Games in Japan in September 2026.