Thailand Thailand defeated Malaysia 3-0 in the second round of Group A, thereby winning a ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2023 AFC U17 Championship one round early.
In the opening match, Thailand struggled to defeat Laos 2-1 while Malaysia lost 0-4 to Yemen. The result forced Malaysia to win at least one point against the home team to have a chance to advance, but Thailand did not give them the chance.
At Pathum Thani Stadium on the evening of June 18, Thailand attacked from the very first minutes, continuously creating trouble for the opponent's goal. In just the first 20 minutes, they had five chances, including a free kick by Surachai Booncharae that goalkeeper Farish Farhan had to use his fingertips to block in the 17th minute.
Pacharaphol Lekkun (No. 6) celebrates Thailand's opening goal against Malaysia. Photo: FAT
Despite the pressure, Thailand had to wait until the second minute of injury time to open the scoring. Captain Pacharaphol Lekkun found space in the penalty area to score past defender Aiman Yusuf.
In the second half, Malaysia remained stuck in attack, while Thailand had a dangerous opportunity in the 51st minute when Jeerapong Chamsakul headed over the bar from close range. Three minutes later, Chanothai Kongmeng sprinted down the right wing and passed back to Chanasorn Choklap to double the lead. In the 78th minute, Jirapong Chamsakul dribbled past a Malaysian player on the right wing and passed to Chanothai Kongmeng who volleyed home to seal the 3-0 victory.
In the previous match, Laos played hard but still lost 1-2 to Yemen. After two matches, Thailand and Yemen have six points each to advance to the quarterfinals one round early. Yemen ranked first in Group A due to a better goal difference (+5 compared to +4). The two teams will decide the first and second place in the match on the evening of June 21.
This is the first time Thailand have advanced past the group stage of the AFC U17 Championship since 1998, when they won the championship for the first and only time. Previously, Thailand finished runners-up in 1996 and fourth in 1985.
Thailand's opponent in the quarter-finals will be one of the four teams in Group B: Iran, the Netherlands, Afghanistan or Qatar.
Hieu Luong
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