Silva Mexes was one of five changes Thailand head coach Jadet Meelarp made after their 4-1 loss to Uzbekistan while Saudi Arabia’s Mario da Silva kept faith with the same starting 11 that defeated China PR 2-1 on Thursday.

The open game saw a flurry of early chances with Thailand keeper Poomraphee Siribunyakul tipping over Sabri Dahal’s inswinging corner kick, then Abdulrahman Sufyani sent a low shot wide before Mexes forced Saudi Arabia custodian Abdulrahman Al Otaibi into a smart save.

Thailand broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Natthakit Phosiri’s low cross from the left was pushed into the path of Siwakorn Ponsan by Al Otaibi, with the Thai forward calmly stroking home from close range.

A raking pass from Abdulaziz Al Fawaz in the 29th minute saw Saudi Arabia draw level, as Abdulrahman Sufyani burst through on the left with his attempt finding the back of the net despite Poomraphee’s best efforts.

Thailand made the brighter start after the interval, twice managing to get behind Saudi Arabia’s defence but on both occasions, neither Natthakit nor Siwakorn could keep their efforts on target.

It took Saudi Arabia until after the hour mark to start asking questions of Thailand’s defence, Al Fawaz’s attempt was cleared on the line before Saeed Al Dossari lifted the ball past Poomraphee only to see it bounce off the post.

Both teams continued to miss good opportunities with Chaiwat Ngoenma crashing a curling shot against the bar for Thailand before Poomraphee pulled off a great save to deny Dahal in a one-on-one situation.

It was Saudi Arabia, however, who finally went ahead  with Sufyani slamming home from inside the box in the 75th minute after poor defending by Thailand.

Substitute Mukhtar Barnawi then made sure of the points three minutes later as Saudi Arabia confirmed their knockout stage spot and ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.