Thailand faces Singapore in the AFF Cup semi-finals

Thailand entered the semi-finals as Group B winner, being the only team to win all four matches and not concede a goal. Meanwhile, Singapore ranked second in Group A with an unbeaten record, drawing with two stronger opponents, Vietnam 0-0 and Indonesia 1-1.

Under the guidance of British coach Anthony Hudson, Thailand had a stable performance despite not being the strongest team. The ability to properly rotate a combination of young and experienced players helped Thailand pass the group stage without losing much effort. Meanwhile, Singapore under young coach Gavin Lee improved from playing psychology to defensive tactics, and had good luck against strong opponents.

Before Singapore, Thailand won 42 matches, drew 15 and lost 11, including all 10 recent wins. Thailand's last loss with a score of 1-3 was in the first leg of the 2012 AFF Cup final. In the second leg at home, Thailand only won 1-0, thereby missing out on the championship.

The result of the match at Jalan Besar tonight will largely determine how each team plays when entering the second leg at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok three days later. Coach Hudson believes that Thailand will win, and Gavin Lee wants the players to devote everything to repay the rising expectations of the Singaporean audience.