The Sri Lanka national football team will take on Chinese Taipei this evening at the Racecourse Stadium in Colombo in a must-win match of the AFC Asian Qualifiers Road to 2027. Kickoff is scheduled for 3.45 pm.
Under the guidance of head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi, Sri Lanka is aiming to build on a recent revival in form. Since taking charge 10 months ago, Al Mutairi has transformed the team, achieving four wins, two draws, and three losses in nine matches, a notable improvement after earlier setbacks.
At yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Al Mutairi highlighted the progress made, praising the commitment of players and officials. “The 22 million people of Sri Lanka are now proud of the national team,” he said, emphasizing his goal to inspire national pride beyond cricket.
Captain and goalkeeper Sujan Perera expressed confidence in the squad despite the FIFA rankings gap—Chinese Taipei is 166th, Sri Lanka 200th. “We have no pressure. Every challenge we faced, we won,” Perera said.
Historically, Sri Lanka has never lost to Chinese Taipei in official matches, with a win and a draw in previous AFC encounters in 2008 and 2009.
Recent victories against Brunei and Laos further bolster the team’s optimism.
A win today would strengthen Sri Lanka’s chances in the qualifiers and keep their unbeaten record intact against Chinese Taipei, advancing their aspirations to compete at the highest levels of Asian football.
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