Anthony Hudson, coach of Thailand's national football team, opens up on the issue of Vietnamese players' naturalization ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026.
On 21 August 2026 at 14:00 at the press conference room of Rajamangala Stadium, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) held a press conference before the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final between Thailand, ranked 94th in the world, and Vietnam, ranked 99th.
The press conference was led by head coach Anthony Hudson along with team forward Yosakorn Burapha.
"Welcome to all the media present in large numbers. We have one more day than Vietnam to prepare, which allows us extra time for recovery and tactical work. Overall, everyone is in a pretty good direction now."
"Vietnamese players are of high quality. Our team preparation must respect our opponents, which will be reflected in how we handle them. But I am confident everyone here has quality and a distinct style."
"Usually, when coaches speak in press conferences, they say they will play attacking football, but often it doesn't go as stated. Vietnam went for warm-ups in South Korea and had a long training camp. They have expectations from their country and aim only to win. That is the truth. We want to improve both our game and fitness, and then focus on the result, which has brought us to the final."
"Some may think this team is not strong enough, but every player does their job well and nothing is fixed. Many young players have been promoted and performed well with strong quality. We will give our all to secure victory."
"I do not pay much attention to past statistics because each tournament is different. I focus on tomorrow’s game as if it were the final match."
"Regarding what Coach Rang said, I have nothing to add. He has his approach. Vietnam has done well in managing the situation. Regarding naturalized players, I have no problem. I respect and honor Vietnamese football."
The upcoming schedule for the Thailand national team in the ASEAN Cup 2026 first leg final is as follows.
Thailand vs. Vietnam on 22 August 2026 at 20:00 at Rajamangala Stadium.