BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (10 Sept 2024) – Brunei Darussalam and Timor Leste have progressed to the third-round qualifiers of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ after surviving the playoffs tonight.
Brunei DS edged Macau 1-0 for a 4-0 aggregate over two legs.
Timor Leste advanced on a 4-3 aggregate after losing 2-0 to Mongolia while Cambodia fell on the wayside after losing 4-2 on penalties to Sri Lanka.
At the Macau Olympic Stadium in Macau, Brunei picked up from where they left off in the first leg playoffs to beat the home team 1-0 with the only goal of the game coming from Azwan Ali Rahman in the tenth minute.
With the win, Brunei DS progressed on a 4-0 aggregate.
At the MFF Football Centre in Ulaanbaatar, Timor Leste overcame a gritty Mongolian side to advance to the third-round qualifiers on a 4-3 aggregate score.
Mongolia won the second leg tie 2-0 with goals from defender Turbat Daginaa in the eighth minute and Dulguun Amaraa in the 55th minute.
However, the loss could not prevent Timor Leste from booking their place in the third-round qualifiers as they banked on their well-worked victory in the first leg.
At the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, host Cambodia could not prevent Sri Lanka from making the cut to the final round qualifiers following the latter’s 4-2 win in the penalty shootout.
The score at the end of regulation was 2-2.
Sri Lanka went in front in the 37th minute through Oliver Kelaart as Nhean Sosidan drew level for Cambodia just five minutes into the second half.
In extra time, Cambodia took the lead off Sos Suhana (in the 98th minute) before Sri Lanka forced the game into the penalty shootout with a pouncing finish from Claudio Kammerknecht right at the end.
In the shootout, goalkeeper Sujan Perera was the hero for Sri Lanka hero when he saved the first two penalties for the 4-2 victory.
At stake in the third round will be six tickets to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™, with the 18 other berths already filled by the sides competing in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26.
The draw for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 will be conducted in December with the matches to commence in March with only the six group winners to advance to the Finals.
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