Thailand U-17 Team Eliminated in AFC Championship Group Stage, Misses Ticket to FIFA U-17 World Cup
Thailand's under-17 team was eliminated from the AFC Championship after losing 2-0 to Saudi Arabia, missing qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Thailand's under-17 national team failed to advance after suffering a defeat to Saudi Arabia, finishing with zero points across two matches and crashing out of the AFC Championship Group Stage. This also eliminates them from contention for a spot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The AFC U-17 Championship final tournament is taking place on May 10 at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium. Thailand played their second Group A match against hosts Saudi Arabia, coming off a previous 0-2 loss to Tajikistan, while Saudi Arabia had defeated Myanmar 4-0. Thailand needed at least a draw to keep their knockout hopes alive, while also hoping for Myanmar to beat Tajikistan.
The match turned quickly when Marwan Al-Yami netted for Saudi Arabia as early as the 4th minute, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. Saudi Arabia sealed the victory with a second goal in the 90+2nd minute from Hassan Alogrush, finishing the match 2-0 in their favor. With this second consecutive loss, Thailand's elimination was confirmed. In the parallel match, Tajikistan narrowly defeated Myanmar 1-0 to secure a perfect six points and a spot in the quarterfinals alongside Saudi Arabia. Thailand and Myanmar are both eliminated from the group stage and will miss the opportunity to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup final tournament in Qatar.
