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In an effort to warm up for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (against Sri Lanka on March 25), the Thai national team just played a friendly match against Afghanistan. The opponent is ranked 156th in the world, 59 places lower, so Thailand's chances of winning are very high.
And they materialized the pressure with a goal in the 6th minute. In an unmarked situation, Patrick Gustafsson quickly kicked the ball into the net, helping Thailand quickly take a 1-0 lead.
Four minutes later, Afghanistan had a good chance when Omid Mousavi broke free and fired a right-footed shot that went wide. But goalkeeper Saranon Anuin reacted quickly to save the goal.
The remaining time, both sides played a tight game. Thailand had difficulty against the opponent's pressing and determined style of play, while they also lacked an attacking plan due to the absence of technical players like Suphanat, Supachok or Chanathip. The first half ended with Thailand leading Afghanistan 1-0.
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Gustavsson scored the second goal |
In the second half, Gustavsson continued to show his talent when he completed his double in the 52nd minute. After a series of precise passes, Mickelson passed the ball to Gustavsson for a powerful left-footed shot to score.
In the 61st minute, Thailand made three substitutions. They brought in Chanathip Songkrasin, Suphanat Mueanta and Weerathep Pomphan. Shortly after, Supachok Sarachat appeared.
A series of bright names were expected to help Thailand create more pressure and score more goals. But no more goals appeared. The match ended with a comfortable 2-0 victory for Thailand.
With Afghanistan ranked 59 places below on the FIFA rankings, this is probably a temporary victory that will satisfy fans of the Golden Temple country.
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