Sri Lanka put up a determined effort but fell short, losing 1-0 to Thailand in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier (Saudi Arabia 2027) final round Group ‘D’ match at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Thailand yesterday.
Coming off a 2-1 win over Laos in a FIFA International friendly, Sri Lanka aimed to continue their momentum but could not break their long-standing losing streak against the higher-ranked Thai team.
Ranked 200th in the world, Sri Lanka displayed strong discipline and resilience against the 97th-ranked Thailand, which is regarded as one of Asia’s top teams.
Despite the significant ranking gap, the match was closely contested, with Sri Lanka holding off Thailand for long periods and creating a few promising opportunities of their own.
