According to the draw results last week, Thailand were placed in Group B alongside Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. The defending champions Vietnam and arch-rivals Indonesia were drawn into Group A, which also includes Singapore, Cambodia and the winner of the playoff between Timor Leste and Brunei.
“When you look at the other group, you’ve got Indonesia and Vietnam,” Hudson told the AFF. “They’re all complicated groups. We’re in a group where all the games will be complicated and tough but if we had to pick a group, this is what we would pick.”
Anthony Hudson during his introduction as head coach of the Thailand national team in October 2025. Photo by FAT |
Hudson emphasized that despite avoiding the top seeds, his team must not be complacent against their Group B opponents.
“We’e happy with the group, how it’s all been placed,” he added. “There will be no easy games, all the teams are very competitive, but we’re really pleased with the draw.”
Philippines coach Carles Cuadrat viewed the draw as a challenging but exciting test, particularly the prospect of facing Thailand.
“We know it’s going to be a very interesting test for us,” Cuadrat told the AFF. “We know that all the teams can get you in trouble, but we are positive about our chances and we are excited about the tournament. Thailand are always in the top stages of the competition and we played them in the semi-finals in the last edition, so it will be a very interesting match.”
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Coach Koji Gyotoku at the press conference before the friendly between Vietnam and Cambodia on March 19, 2025. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
In Group A, Cambodia’s coach Koji Gyotoku acknowledged the immense difficulty of facing Vietnam and Indonesia but affirmed his team’s ambition to progress.
“It’s really difficult. Vietnam and Indonesia are strong countries,” Gyotoku said. “Before I say our target is to get to the knockout stages, the semi-finals, so we have to make an effort and try our best to make a good game. We don’t know which country is home and away but for our home games, we have to win.”
Singapore’s coach Gavin Lee also embraced the difficult draw as a necessary step for his team’s development.
“There’s going to be some exciting games,” Lee said. “As part of our preparation for the Asian Cup, we want to be pushed, to be tested, to be put in uncomfortable positions and we’ve got that with this draw.”
The 2026 ASEAN Cup will take place from July 24 to Aug. 26, using the traditional home-and-away round-robin format in the group stage. Thailand remain the most successful team in tournament history with seven titles, followed by Singapore with four and Vietnam with three. This summer edition marks only the third time the tournament has been held during this period, a move expected to help with stronger squad selections during the pre-season window for regional clubs.
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