Thailand go welcome Kuwait for friendly match for Friday at BG Stadium, di first time di two sides go meet for 12 years. Kuwait don historically dominate dis fixture, with six wins from eight previous encounters, while Thailand get only one win and one draw, wey happen for May 2014, 1-1.
Di War Elephants don dey climb FIFA World Rankings steadily for di past few years. As di 93rd-ranked nation globally, dem maintain dia momentum even after change of coach. Anthony Hudson, wey take over from Masatada Ishii for October 2025, don win all three matches wey e don handle, extending di team win streak to five since dia loss to Iraq for King’s Cup final last September.
Dis hot run na because of dia sharp finishing for attack. Thailand don score 17 goals across those five wins, and dia only two defeats for last nine matches since June happen for di only games wey dem no score at least two goals. Hudson boys last play for March, wey dem beat Turkmenistan 2-1 to top Group D for di third round of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, so dem book ticket to di continental competition for di ninth time.
Friday exhibition and next week clash with China go serve as preparation for di ASEAN Championship for July, wey di War Elephants want win for record-extending eighth time.
For Kuwait side, after dem fail to qualify for World Cup by finishing bottom of Group B for di third qualification round, dem go face Thailand and later Oman. Dem dey prepare for September Arabian Gulf Cup. Head coach Helio Sousa, wey dem appoint after dat setback, get only two wins for nine matches (D3, L4) since July, but dat number na di same as di wins dem get for dia previous 24 matches before Sousa arrive.
Di away side don show some improvement for attack under Sousa, scoring for each of dia last six matches, with 11 goals total. But dem still dey leak goals for defence, conceding 12 and at least two goals for four of those games, including 3-1 loss to United Arab Emirates for December for FIFA Arab Cup.
Kuwait no win any match for dat tournament group stage, but dem fit hope to end dia three-match winless run against Thailand, wey dem don historically dominate. A positive result go help dem rise from 134th spot for FIFA rankings.
Thailand coach Hudson don name 23-man squad for di double-header against Kuwait and China, mixing youth and experience. E don hand potential debuts to Peerawat Akkratum, Waris Choolthong, Erawan Garnier and Teerapat Pruetong. Di big news na di recall of veteran forward Teerasil Dangda after two years absence. E get 128 caps and dey chase Kiatisuk Senamuang record of 134.
Kuwait coach Sousa don pick 26-man roster, bringing fresh blood like Abdullah Al-Awadhi, Abdullah Al-Qurzaie, Youssef Al-Haqan, Ali Hassan and Bandar Al-Barazi. Some players wey dem bin sideline before, like Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Mahdi Dashti, Jasem Al-Matar, Muntasir Abdul Salam, Fawaz Al-Mubailesh and Mohammed Khaled, don return. But no room for Arab Cup regulars Suleiman Abdulghafour, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Sultan Al-Anzi, Fawaz Ayyad, Hassan Hamdan, Adhbi Shihab, Mohammed Al-Sharifi and Muath Al-Osaimi.
Di match go pit two teams for different trajectories. Thailand dey fly high with momentum, while Kuwait dey try stop dia slide. Di hosts get upper hand for home soil, but fans fit expect open contest because Kuwait don score and concede for each of dia last three matches, and Thailand don dey involved for high-scoring games for dia last four.
