Thailand, Uzbekistan end campaign on a high

Published on: 21 October 2017
Thailand, Uzbekistan end campaign on a high
Thailand, Uzbekistan end campaign on a high

Nanjing: Eliminated Thailand and Uzbekistan shared the spoils in a gripping battle for pride which rounded out the both teams’ campaigns at the Jiangsu Training Base Stadium in Nanjing.

Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva twice put the Central Asians in front, but goals from Kanyanat Chetthabutr and defender Orrapan ensured each side would leave China with a point.

The result means Bahrom Norsafarov’s Uzbekistan finish third in Group A, while Thailand remain at the foot of the table – although the result meant the Southeast Asians bettered their 2009 campaign, where they lost all three matches.

Both Norsafarov and Thailand’s Nuengrutai Srathongvian had promised to attack, and it took just nine minutes for Khabibullaeva to give the Uzbeks the lead, scoring their first goal at the tournament in 13 years.

Uzbekistan very nearly took their lead to half-time, only for Thailand’s talismanic striker Kanyanat levelled the tie in first half added-on time, taking her tournament tally including qualifying matches to nine.

Khabibullaeva made it 2-1 to Uzbekistan in the 66th minute, but just as the Norsafarov’s charges began to dream of victory, Orrapan levelled the score just five minutes later.

As predicted by the two the coaches, attacking was the order of the day, and, with Thailand’s Nutwadee Pram-nak the most influential player on the pitch, both sides searched for a decisive goal.

But despite their best efforts, they would remain locked at 2-2, in a match where – after 180 minutes of defending against two of Asia’s heavyweights – both sides showed their attacking quality.

Photos: AFC 

Source: the-afc.com

 

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