Bangkok: Anthony Hudson leads the War Elephants back to Thailand, reiterating the original goal of defeating Turkey and securing a ticket to the Asian Cup. The Thai national men’s football team has arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport after completing their mission in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round, Group D, match 5 against Sri Lanka.
According to Thai News Agency, in that game, the Thai national team defeated Sri Lanka 4-0, increasing their total points to 12, becoming second in Group D with the same number of points as Turkmenistan, but with an inferior head-to-head record. On this return trip, Jude Bell, Nicholas Mickelson, Supachai Sarachat, Prames Ajwilai, and Kevin Deeromram travelled back first to their respective countries to continue serving their respective clubs.
After arriving, Anthony Hudson, head coach of the Thai national team, said, “The goal and objective of playing during the FIFA Day in November is to get three points in both games, especially the game against Sri Lanka, which was a very important victory. I am pleased with the overall outcome.”
“This camp is my first, and it’s a relatively rushed time to recruit athletes and staff. After this, we’ll have more time to prepare and select players for the FIFA Day in March next year. Of course, we respect our opponents, Turkmenistan. They’re a good team, and our team preparation goal remains clear: we must win our home game against Turkmenistan.”
“The past two weeks have been a continuous, hard work. The staff recruitment process has been quite hurried. Following this, I’m requesting a day or two of rest and will hold a meeting to review the performance of the staff and players. Given the pressure of the past two games, I’d like to thank all the staff for making the event a success and achieving our goals.”
“Regarding Iklas, I’ve been following his form since he played for the Thailand U23 national team. I’ve seen his talent and am pleased to have him called up to the senior national team this time. I’ve seen his quality and aggressive playing style, which is why I brought him to help the team this time. Going forward, I’ll continue to follow him when he plays for his club or the Thailand U23 national team. I believe that with consistent performance, he can become a key player for the senior Thai national team in the future, as he has great potential.”
“Following this, we may have the opportunity to speak with the staff of the Thailand U23 national team about their work at the SEA Games, which will begin sometime later. We will try to discuss and see what support we can provide to the team, and we are ready to communicate and exchange information with each other.”