Earthquake in Thailand's group

Sri Lanka - ranked 197th in the world and the third weakest team in Asia, surprisingly defeated Turkmenistan 1-0 in Group D of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on the evening of October 9.

Sri Lanka makes a turning point in Group D.

Before the third match, Thailand had only 3 points after 2 matches - with a 1-3 defeat to Turkmenistan - putting them at a disadvantage. Coach Masatada Ishii's team had to win the remaining matches and beat Turkmenistan by a large margin to keep their hopes of advancing alive. But the miracle from Colombo changed everything.

At home, Sri Lanka played a brave game. They were under pressure for most of the game, but their tight defense and tenacious spirit kept Turkmenistan at bay. The turning point came in the 67th minute when the away team's goalkeeper made a silly mistake, letting the ball slip through his hands after a seemingly harmless long-range shot, giving Sri Lanka a historic 1-0 victory.

The South Asian team's performance has improved recently thanks to the presence of many naturalized players. However, this group of players plays in lower leagues in Europe. In the Sri Lankan squad, midfielder Claudio Kammerknecht is the most highly valued, at 400,000 euros. Therefore, Sri Lanka's defeat of Turkmenistan is still considered a big shock.

After the third round, the situation in Group D became dramatic when Thailand, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka all had 6 points. The "War Elephants" from a disadvantage now have a chance to continue. The next match against Taiwan on October 14 will be an opportunity for Thailand to rise to the top of the group.

Group D situation after 3 matches.

Source: https://znews.vn/dia-chan-o-bang-dau-cua-thai-lan-post1592454.html