Jakarta, ThedailyID — Thailand reached the AFF Cup 2026 final despite suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Singapore in the second leg of their semifinal on Tuesday, August 18.
The result at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok was enough for Singapore to win the second leg, but Thailand advanced 4-3 on aggregate.
The defeat also ended coach Anthony Hudson’s unbeaten run with Thailand. The American had gone 10 consecutive matches without losing since October 22, 2025.
Hudson pointed to fatigue and the tight match schedule as major factors behind his team’s performance.
“The last two matches had to be played within three days, not including the travel time,” Hudson said, as reported by Siamsport.
He said the demanding schedule affected the players’ physical condition and prevented them from fully executing the team’s planned style of play.
“We had to play every three days, while many players are still in preseason. It’s time to build fitness, so it’s very difficult to play football the way we want,” Hudson said.
Despite the defeat, Thailand secured its place in the final and will now wait for its opponent.
Vietnam will face Malaysia in the second semifinal at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday, August 19. Vietnam hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand will face the winner in the AFF Cup 2026 final.
