Thailand vs Brunei: War Elephants open King's Cup bid

Thailand vs Brunei opens the War Elephants' 52nd King's Cup campaign on Saturday, November 14, at 7.30pm in Sri Sa Ket, and midfielder Kakana Khamyok says the hosts will not underestimate their opponents. The Bangkok United player said the squad is ready and has only one target, to win the title in front of a home crowd, the Bangkok Post reported.

The tournament kicks off earlier the same day, with Oman facing Tajikistan at 4pm. The final is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17.

Kakana: no room for complacency

Kakana said the players had worked hard since the first day of the training camp. "We are now ready and looking forward to the tournament," he said after the team's morning session, before the squad left for Sri Sa Ket.

He said Thailand would do their best against Brunei and must not take the opponent lightly, adding that the aim is to pick up a win from the opening match. Thailand go in as favourites, but home teams in short tournaments often find that early games against lower-ranked sides can be tricky if they start slowly.

Football fever in the north-east

This year's King's Cup is being staged in Sri Sa Ket, in Thailand's north-east, rather than in Bangkok. Kakana said the province's love of football made it a fitting venue.

"It is a good thing for the Thai national team to play upcountry, in Sri Sa Ket province, where the fans are crazy about football," he said. He recalled that on his last visit, for a match between Bangkok United and Rasisalai United, there had been a big local turnout, and said he hoped fans would fill the stadium for the national team.

Taking the national side to the provinces gives fans outside the capital a rare chance to watch the War Elephants in person. Coach Anthony Hudson has praised Sri Sa Ket's supporters too, as covered in our report on Hudson's King's Cup plans.

The squad for Thailand vs Brunei

Hudson named a 23-man squad earlier this month. Key points from the selection, reported in our story on the King's Cup squad, include:

• Veteran left wing-back Theerathon Bunmathan returns to the national team.
• Chanathip Songkrasin was left out so that he can rest.
• Forward Suphanat, who plays in Japan for Omiya Ardija, is set to join only for the final after a long injury.
• Players reported to camp on November 9, giving Hudson almost five days with the group before the opener.

That means Suphanat will not feature against Brunei, and Hudson will rely on the rest of his group to make a strong start.

AFC Awards coming to Bangkok

Thai football has another big date coming up. The Bangkok Post reports that the AFC Awards Bangkok 2026, Asian football's biggest annual ceremony, will be held in Thailand next Thursday. It is the second time Thailand has hosted the event, after 2017, and 19 awards will be presented at the 30th edition.

Thailand is in contention in two categories. The Football Association of Thailand, which has won the AFC Member Association of the Year (Diamond category) for the past two years, faces the Chinese Football Association and the Vietnam Football Federation. In futsal, Muhammad Osamanmusa of Spanish club Jimbee Cartagena is nominated for AFC Futsal Player of the Year alongside Iran's Hossein Tayebi and Saeid Ahmad Abbasi.

FAT chief Nualphan Lamsam said it was a wonderful opportunity for Thailand to host the event again, nine years after the first time.

What to watch on Saturday

For Thailand, the opening game is about setting the tone. A confident win in Thailand vs Brunei would ease the pressure on Hudson's side and build momentum before the final on November 17. Fans in Sri Sa Ket will hope to see the hosts take control early and give the crowd something to celebrate.

Image: Sri Sa Ket Provincial Stadium, the venue for Thailand vs Brunei at the King's Cup. Photo by Taradon.t via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.