Sri Lanka face Thailand today in crucial Asian Cup qualifier

Sri Lanka acting captain Claudio Matthias (right) and head coach Abdullah Almutairi address the media ahead of today’s match 

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka will take on Thailand today in the second leg of their AFC Asian Cup 2027 (Saudi Arabia) Qualifiers – third round, Group D encounter scheduled to kick off at 3.45 pm at the Racecourse Ground, Colombo.
Sri Lanka were dealt a major setback ahead of the crucial fixture as team captain and regular goalkeeper Sujan Perera was sidelined due to a sudden illness. The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) appointed Claudio Matthias, a Sri Lanka–German dual citizen aged 26, as the acting captain for today’s match.
With Perera unavailable, Kavisha Fernando will stand between the posts for Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference held in Colombo yesterday, Sri Lanka’s head coach Abdullah Almutairi emphasized the importance of today’s clash for both teams.
“To progress further in this qualifying phase, victory is vital for both Sri Lanka and Thailand. Both sides are under pressure,” he said.
According to the current FIFA World Rankings, Thailand sit approximately 100 places higher than Sri Lanka, making them the stronger side on paper. However, Almutairi stressed that Sri Lanka has been an improving and emerging team, capable of challenging stronger opponents.
Sri Lanka seek first-ever win
Sri Lanka has faced Thailand eight times in international competition but has never secured a victory, with Thailand winning all previous matches. Today’s game presents another opportunity for Sri Lanka to rewrite history.
Group D consists of Turkmenistan, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka have played four matches so far, winning two and losing two.
Sri Lanka’s results so far:
Beat Chinese Taipei 3–1 (first leg)
Beat Turkmenistan 1–0 (first leg)
Lost to Thailand 1–0 (first leg)
Lost to Turkmenistan 2–1 (second leg)
With the qualification race heating up, today’s match could prove decisive for Sri Lanka’s Asian Cup hopes.