Sri Lanka’s hopes of breaking a decades-long winless run against Thailand were dashed today after suffering a heavy 4–0 defeat in Colombo.
Coming into the match with history already against them — having never beaten Thailand in seven previous meetings since 1979 — the home side faced immense pressure before a packed crowd at one of the country’s premier football venues.
Head coach Abdulla Al Mutairi’s men entered the game as South Asia’s sole remaining representatives, with regional teams such as India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Brunei, Bhutan and Pakistan already eliminated. However, the task proved too difficult against the world’s 96th-ranked side.
Despite Sri Lanka’s lowly FIFA ranking of 193, Al Mutairi had expressed confidence in his squad, pointing to the progress made over the past year, which included six wins, five losses and three draws. But Thailand dominated from the opening whistle, showcasing their superior pace, structure and finishing.
The defeat comes just weeks after Sri Lanka’s historic 1–0 win over Turkmenistan at the same venue on 9 October — a moment that had raised hopes of another breakthrough. That optimism faded quickly today as Thailand capitalised on defensive lapses and controlled the tempo throughout the game. (Newswire)
