Turkmenistan Beat Sri Lanka 2–1 in AFC Asia Cup Qualifier Second Leg

By Susil Premalal

Turkmenistan secured a 2–1 victory over Sri Lanka in the second leg of the AFC Asia Cup 2027 Qualifying Third Round (Group ‘D’) match held yesterday at the Arkadag Stadium in Turkmenistan.

With this win, Turkmenistan have now triumphed in three of their four matches and currently lead the Group ‘D’ points table. Thailand too, with three wins from four games, remain level with Turkmenistan at the top.

The first half of the Sri Lanka–Turkmenistan encounter saw an evenly contested battle, with both teams displaying strong defensive play and failing to convert several goal-scoring opportunities.

In the second half, the home side took control, maintaining possession with speed and accuracy. Turkmenistan netted two consecutive goals in the 52nd and 57th minutes. However, Sri Lanka managed to pull one back in the 65th minute when a Turkmenistan defender mistakenly scored an own goal.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had defeated Turkmenistan 1–0 in the first leg played in Colombo.

Under this qualifying series, Sri Lanka are scheduled to meet Thailand in Colombo on November 18 and will play their second-leg match against Chinese Taipei away on March 31, 2026.