Sri Lanka succumbed to their 2nd defeat when they lost 3-0 to Yemen in the 2020 AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers at the Doha Sports City Aspire 4 pitch in Qatar.
Sri Lanka came into the game after losing the first game against hosts Qatar 5 goals to 1. Yemen on the other hand came through 2-1 winners over a strong Turkmenistan Team.
Mohamed Mursith in the Lankan goal was called on to make an early save as Yemen went on the front foot. The Lankans however won the first corner of the game but Yemen cleared any possible dangers.
Lankans battled hard in the midfield, but were not able to find a telling pass to their front man Shabeer Razooniya who was isolated up front. The passes from back to front lacked accuracy and quality.
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Tamer Senan and Muneef Jassar the Yemeni skipper were a threat to the Lankan defense. Yemen got their first corner in the 12th minute and a short corner worked off was wiped into the box and Emad Algodaimah headed, climbing above all to give Yemen the lead.
Saqr Alharbi then scored from an angle when he was set through with a long ball to the right wing. Mohamed Mursith was unable to prevent the shot to the roof of the net. Yemen continued to dominate procession and the Lankan back line working hard to maintain their lines and ensure that the Yemeni forwards didn’t breach their line.
Shabeer Razooniya then tried an audacious long range effort from his own half. The shot was on target but the Yemeni keeper Osama Haidar was alert and ensured he tracked back and saved the shot.
Soon after, Yemen worked off another short corner and this time the header was partially cleared but it fell to Mohammed Sadeq who deposited the ball into the back of the net.
Half Time: Yemen 3 – 0 Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka kicked off the second half, but soon lost procession and it was Yemen who were patient in their build up and kept hold of the ball.
Later, Shabeer Razooniya was released by a long ball from Mohamed Sajid. Shabeer was unable to get the ball in his control lost the opportunity as the Yemeni defense closed in and cleared the danger.
Unlike the first half, Sri Lanka kept the oppostition silent for the large part of the 2nd half with good defensive organization and discipline.
Sri Lanka almost scored when Shabeer hit the post in the 90th minute from a well worked corner. His back heel flick from the front post hit the upright, much to the disappointment of the Lankans.
A resolute Lankan defense held on in the second half and worked double time. The outcome of the game could have been different if the Lankans were able to defend the set pieces where they conceded 2 goals.
Full Time: Yemen 3 – 0 Sri Lanka
Goal Scorers:
Yemen – Emad Algodaimah 12’, Saqr Alharbi 17’, Mohammed Sadeq 36’
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