Sri Lanka secured a historic 1-0 victory against the 154th-ranked Yemen football team at the Al-Khor Stadium in Doha, Qatar, thanks to Jack Hingert’s header in the 89th minute.
The Golden Army started the proceedings on a positive note, winning all the early challenges. Sri Lanka showed real urgency going forward, testing the Yemeni goalkeeper Mohammed Aman multiple times in the opening 20 minutes.
Eventhough with all the possession, Sri Lanka lacked that final touch to hit the back of the net. Midfielders Leon Perera and Bharath Suresh were standout performers in the first half, consistently winning the ball for Sri Lanka in important areas of the pitch.
Sri Lanka’s best opportunity came in the 43rd minute from Adhavan Rajamohan’s free kick. His effort was agonizingly close, hitting the side netting and bringing everyone to their feet.
The visitors suffered an early setback in the second half when their defensive anchor, Claudio Mathias, was substituted just two minutes in after showing signs of injury following a knock.
Both teams looked unsettled in the second half, struggling to find their rhythm in the final third of the pitch.
The resilient Sri Lankan outfit kept knocking on the door and finally paid dividends in the 89th minute when Jack Hingert found the back of the net from a long throw-in. Bharath Suresh’s header was expertly guided in by Hingert, securing a historic win for Sri Lanka.
Both sides will face each other again in the second game on November 19th at the same venue, with kickoff scheduled for 9:45 AM (IST).
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