Sri Lanka footballers train in Thailand to play against Taipei

By Susil Premalal

The Sri Lanka football team is scheduled to leave for Thailand on March 20 to take part in an eight-day training camp in preparation for their upcoming international fixture against Taipei

The team will train in Bangkok until March 28 before departing for Taipei on the same day.

Sri Lanka is set to face Taipei on March 31 in their last Group ‘D’ match of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualification. 

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) president Jaswar Umar stated that arrangements have been made for the extended training camp to better prepare the team for the crucial encounter.

However, reports indicate that three key players in the current Sri Lanka squad are sidelined due to injuries, posing a challenge to the team’s balance.

Sri Lanka has so far played five matches in Group ‘D’, securing two wins and suffering three defeats. The group also includes Turkmenistan, Thailand and Taipei.

Sri Lanka recorded victories against Turkmenistan (1-0) in Colombo and Taipei (3-1) in Colombo. The team suffered defeats against Thailand in Bangkok (0-1) and Colombo (0-4), as well as against Turkmenistan away (1-2).

Regardless of the outcome of the March 31 match against Taipei, Sri Lanka will be eliminated from the tournament.

The FFSL said that this will be Sri Lanka’s first international match in 2026, and a victory could help improve the team’s FIFA rankings.

Officials also said that a win against Taipei would provide a morale boost ahead of upcoming competitions, including the Maldives Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship scheduled in the coming months.