AFC U17 Asian Cup
Tied at 1-1 at the break, Sufyani said the players were given a fresh set of instructions and tactics which ultimately turned the match in their favour with the Al Nassr U19 forward also getting on the scoresheet to make it 2-1 before Mukhtar Barnawi struck the third minutes later to seal the win.
The win not only sealed Saudi Arabia their knockout stage spot but also a ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
#AFCU17 | Group A: Thailand 1–3 Saudi Arabia
"We achieved an important victory against a Thailand side that played really well, especially in the first half,” said Sufyani.
"During the second half, we corrected the mistakes we were making in the first half. We played at a faster pace, especially in the midfield. We also focused on our opponents' weaknesses and managed to take full advantage of the chances we created.
"I scored one and assisted another, my ambition is to be the top scorer in this tournament, and ultimately help my team win the title, and bring joy to the fans who support us."
Saudi Arabia head coach Mario da Silva felt nerves were at play given results elsewhere but paid tribute to the players for executing his plans to perfection after the interval.
"Perhaps in the first half, the players were nervous as they knew what had to be done given the result between Uzbekistan and China (PR),” said da Silva.
"At half-time, we discussed some mistakes and tried to avoid them during the second half, emphasising the need for the players to focus until the final minute of the match.
“We also worked on exploiting the flanks and crosses inside the penalty area, especially as our opponents tried to close down the spaces in the middle."
Thailand goalkeeper Poomraphee Siribuyakul was left dejected following the defeat as it eliminated them from the competition, citing profligacy in front of goal as one of the reasons why they will be leaving Saudi Arabia 2025 early.
“Of course it was disappointing to lose because we missed a lot of chances,” said Poomraphee. “As the goalkeeper, I’m also disappointed with myself for not being able to stop their goals so I’m sorry to the fans and my teammates."
“We came here with the dream of going to the World Cup but even though the dream is now gone, we will still try to finish our last game with a win.”
Saudi Arabia will meet Uzbekistan on Wednesday to decide who tops Group A while Thailand will conclude their campaign against China PR.
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