Thailand team (black shirt) had an easy victory over Sri Lanka - Photo: FAT
The Thai team traveled to Sri Lanka's field with the mission of having to win to keep their chance of participating in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. After 4 matches in Group D, Thailand has the same 9 points as the top team Turkmenistan but is ranked behind due to an inferior head-to-head record.
Sri Lanka is currently ranked 193rd in the FIFA rankings, so Thailand (ranked 96) is expected to have no difficulty winning.
In the 7th minute, Thanawat Suengchitthawon opened the scoring for the "war elephants" with an impressive masterpiece. This striker dribbled from the sideline into the middle and then fired a powerful shot into the home team's net.
The early goal helped coach Anthony Hudson's players play with more excitement. Although Sri Lanka tried to respond, notably with a dangerous long-range shot in the 20th minute, the Thai defense still stood firm.
Thailand still hopes to participate in the 2027 Asian Cup Finals - Photo: FAT
In the second half, Thailand continued to maintain a one-sided game. In the 65th minute, from a cross from the right wing, young striker Jude Soonsup-Bell headed the ball to double the gap. Just 12 minutes later, it was the turn of center-back Pansa Hemviboon to speak up with a high-jump header from Nicholas Mickelson's cross, raising the score to 3-0.
In the 90th minute, Jude Soonsup-Bell completed his double with a close-range finish, sealing a 4-0 win for Thailand.
This victory temporarily helps the Southeast Asian representative rise to the top of Group D with 12 points, and await the result of the match between Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei.
The final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup will take place from March 2025 to March 2026, with 24 teams participating. The teams are divided into 6 groups of 4 teams each.
The four teams will compete in a round-robin format, home and away (6 matches). At the end of the final qualifying round, only the group winners of the six groups will qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thang-dam-doi-hang-193-the-gioi-thai-lan-nuoi-hy-vong-asian-cup-2027-20251118192757148.htm
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