Thailand vs Kuwait prediction
Thailand
Thailand is gearing up for the ASEAN Championship matches under the guidance of English coach Anthony Hudson, who took over the national team in October 2025. During the summer international fixtures, the "War Elephants" will face Kuwait and then take on China in an away match. The squad is a blend of seasoned players and young talents. Personally, I'm particularly intrigued by the French-Thai midfielder Eravan Garnier, who made his debut in Ligue 1 for Lens this season and finished as runners-up in the French Championship. The majority of the team, however, consists of players from the local league, with strong representations from Muangthong and Buriram, though there are a few playing abroad.
In terms of World Cup qualification, Thailand's hopes were dashed after a crucial defeat against China, which saw them miss out on a top-two spot in their group. This prompted a change in leadership. With Hudson at the helm, ranked 93rd by FIFA, the team has strung together five consecutive wins, securing a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup. During the decisive home match in the spring, they managed a 2-1 victory over Turkmenistan, finishing three points ahead.
Against Kuwait and China, they will be without Ekanit Panya, who has been replaced by the young Surachat Saripim, and Ikhlas Sanron, who sustained an injury in the Thai Cup. Overall, the squad is in good form as they prepare for an important test against Kuwait in Bangkok.
Kuwait
The Kuwait national team missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Led by Juan Antonio Pizzi during the decisive phase of Asian qualifiers, they found themselves at the bottom of their section, garnering only 5 points from 10 matches, with 0 wins and 5 defeats.
The Spanish coach's team struggled against more intense opponents – suffering a 0-4 loss to South Korea, 0-2 to Uzbekistan, an intense 4-3 against Tanzania, 1-3 losses to both China and the UAE, and similar setbacks against Jordan at the FIFA Arab Cup, all highlighting substantial defensive issues. Following their World Cup qualification failure last December, a coaching change was made. Portuguese coach Elio Sousa, who previously honed his skills with Bahrain's national team, now leads them towards the Asian Cup, the West Asian Championship, and the Gulf Cup. His primary mission is to tighten the defense, as the team has conceded in 14 of their last 15 games, often letting in more than one goal per match.
Prediction
It's been over a decade since these teams last faced off. Both national squads are using this friendly as a stepping stone for their upcoming regional competitions.
In this clash, I expect the "War Elephants" to score twice. They are in far better shape and can capitalize on the local climatic conditions like high humidity, which might be unfamiliar terrain for the Kuwaiti players.
The visitors have leaked at least two goals in 8 out of their last 11 matches, and in terms of attacking prowess, Kuwait is not on par with the creative Thai squad, who should leverage their home advantage. Hudson's side has scored at least two goals in 5 of their last 6 home matches (notably 3-2 against Singapore, 2-0 against Taiwan, 3-0 against Fiji, and 2-0 against India), whereas Kuwait has conceded at least two goals per game in 5 of their last 7 away outings, a trend likely to persist in Bangkok.
