Anthony Hudson, head coach of the Thailand national football team, spoke out after learning the group draw results for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Anthony Hudson, the head coach of the Thailand national football team, admitted feeling excited that Thailand was drawn in the same group as Japan, Qatar, and Indonesia in the final round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027.
Hudson said, "Overall, I think this group is very exciting. Since there are big teams in this group, I believe it’s a great opportunity for Thailand to face strong opponents, and anything can happen."
"I told all our players that if you want to face opponents in the Asian Cup, to meet teams like Japan, this is an important opportunity for every player and for our Thai team. Especially since our first match is against Qatar, I think it will be a good game for us. We know we are facing opponents at a higher level whom we respect, so this is a very significant occasion for us."
"I think having Indonesia in the group is a good thing, and it will be a big match. Looking at their progress, they have developed well and have a good head coach. It will be a good game, a derby match (for ASEAN). I think it’s positive for us."
"Our current team preparation aims to compete in the Asian Cup with our best performance and clear goals. We must play with courage. In every game, anything can happen. We have good players, even if some consider us the smallest team. But we have a group of experienced players who have already participated in the Asian Cup. I think the core of our preparation is confidence that the Thailand national team will be in good form during the competition period."
The tournament will advance the top two teams from each of the six groups, along with the four best third-placed teams, to the round of 16.
The Thailand national team's match schedule for the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup is as follows.
11 January 2027
Qatar vs Thailand
16 January 2027
Thailand vs Japan
20 January 2027
Thailand vs Indonesia