3 Southeast Asian teams have a great chance in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers

The third round of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup witnessed double joy for the Thai team. In Group D, Thailand won an important 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka surprisingly won 1-0 against the top team Turkmenistan. These results helped the Thai team level the score with the Central Asian team, the opponent Thailand lost 1-3 in the second match.

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Chanathip Songkrasin scored, helping the Thai team close in on the top spot of Group D (Photo: FAT).

Currently, the 3 teams Thailand, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan have 6 points after 3 matches. The team from the Land of the Golden Temple is temporarily ranked 3rd in this group, due to being lower than Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka in terms of additional index.

However, Thailand still has direct matches against Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan in the last two matches of the third qualifying round, so they still have the right to decide to take the top spot in this group.

In Group A, the Philippines maintained their top position, after a 4-1 victory over Timor Leste last night (October 9). With this victory, the Philippines has 7 points, equal to the second-placed team Tajikistan, but the Philippines is ranked higher thanks to a better goal difference.

Like Thailand in Group D, the Philippines still has a direct match against Tajikistan in March 2026, so the Southeast Asian team still has the right to decide.

In Group F, Vietnam continues to be second in the group, with 6 points after 3 matches. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team (Korean) beat Nepal 3-1 last night. Meanwhile, Malaysia beat Laos 3-0 to continue to lead this group, with 9 points.

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The Vietnamese team has a great chance of entering the 2027 Asian Cup finals, if Malaysia is officially deducted points (Photo: Nam Anh).

However, Malaysia’s position is only temporary. The team nicknamed Harimau Malaya was determined by FIFA to have used an unqualified player in the matches against Nepal (March 25) and Vietnam (June 10).

The Asian football community is waiting for the official date when Malaysia will be declared to have lost the two matches (if their appeal to FIFA fails). If they are declared to have lost, Malaysia will lose the top spot in Group F and this position will belong to the Vietnamese team.

In Group B, Brunei lost 0-2 to Yemen yesterday afternoon. Brunei is currently ranked 3rd in this group, with 3 points after 3 matches. They are above Bhutan (1 point).

In Group C, Singapore drew 1-1 with India at home. The Lion Island team has 5 points after 3 matches, ranking second in Group C, two points behind the top team Hong Kong (China).

Singapore's chance to top the table and qualify for the Asian Cup finals is still there, but the problem with this team is their inconsistent form.

In Group E, Myanmar lost 1-5 to Syria in a match played on a neutral field in Saudi Arabia. Because of this defeat, Myanmar had to rank behind Syria in the rankings. The Southeast Asian team has 6 points, the West Asian team has 9 points.

Myanmar still has the second leg against Syria at home, but it will be difficult for them to turn the situation around in a few days, because they lost too heavily in the first leg.

Competition results of Southeast Asian teams on the evening of October 9

Table A

Timor Leste – Philippines: 1-4

Group B

Brunei – Yemen: 0-2

Table C

Singapore - India: 1-1

Table D

Thailand – Taiwan: 2-0

Table E

Syria – Myanmar: 5-1

Group F