Thailand Under-23 kicked off their Bangabandhu Gold Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Singapore U-23 in the first match of Group B at Sylhet District Stadium yesterday.
With Bahrain – the other side of Group B - touted as the favourites to win the cup, yesterday’s match was potentially a quarterfinal to decide which of the two teams make it through to the last four as the runners up side from this group. And it was Thailand who sealed the win in a topsy-turvy encounter.
Thailand went ahead with just six minutes into the clock through midfielder Sensomaiad Adisak. Kana Narakorn’s corner from the right flag found Adisak inside the box. Adisak headed the ball into the net after it rebounded off the sidepost.
Thailand, ranked 13 places higher than Singapore in the Fifa rankings, then took advantage of a baffled Singapore defence as midfielder Srinawong Chayawat doubled the lead in the 31st minute. Forward Parmpak Pakorn was the architect behind the goal as he dribbled past a defender to break into the box before cutting the ball back to Chayawat who placed home from the centre of the box.
Singapore staged a comeback immediately after resumption by pulling one back four minutes into the second half. Following a blunder from a Thai defender who failed to block Taufik Bin Suparna’s through pass for Iqram Yazid, Iqram received the ball calmly and slotted home past Yos Somporn in the near post.
It took Singapore only four minutes to find the net again and equalise the margin, thanks to a lovely finish by Taufik. Midfielder Nur Ishafiq Naim ran through the right flank and delivered a low cross which deflected off a defender and went straight to the keeper who was unable to grip the ball. The rebound fell kindly at the feet of Taufik who smashed home from just outside the six-yard box.
Thailand, however, had the last laugh as Pakorn sealed victory in the 80th minute, thumping in a 20-yarder into the back of the net.
