Tehran: Thailand picked up the point they needed to finish top of Group F in Preliminary Round 2 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifiers following a 2-2 draw with second-placed Iraq on Thursday.
Iraq made a blistering start to the match at the PAS Ghavamin Stadium in Tehran and put pressure on the Thai defence on two occasions inside the first three minutes before having the ball in the net only to see the sixth-minute effort ruled out for offside.
After the 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners had dominated the opening exchanges, Thailand soon settled into the contest and turned the tide of the match in their favour when Theerathon Bunmathan headed home Mongkol Thosakrai’s 39th minute corner to give the ASEAN champions the advantage going into the half-time interval.
However, the Thailand skipper’s first-half opener was cancelled out in the 65th minute when substitute Mahdi Kamil - who came on for 2012 AFC Youth Player of the Year Mohannad Abulraheem five minutes earlier - fired in the rebound after Thai keeper Kawin Thamsatchanan had saved an initial shot.
Needing all three points to keep alive their hopes of taking top spot ahead of the Thais - with Iraq still having a game in hand over the South East Asians - Yahya Alwan’s side pushed for the winner but instead it was Thailand that got the goal that looked to have convincingly settled Group F.
With four minutes left on the clock Theerathon turned provider with a deep free-kick that was volleyed home by his former Buriram United team Adisak Kraisorn but the Muangthong United forward’s late effort wasn’t the end of the scoring.
Five minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second half Iraq’s pressure paid off when Korawit Namwiset put the ball into his own net but the Burimam United defender’s late transgression didn’t prove too detrimental to Thailand’s cause, with Kiattisuk Senamuang’s side maintaining their five point lead over the Iraqis.
The Thais ended their campaign with 14 points while second-place Iraq moved up to nine, five clear of Vietnam,who they will face in Tehran next Tuesday in an academic final fixture in four-team Group F.
Eight group winners will advance to the third round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, as well as straight to the 2019 Asian Cup in United Arab Emirates, along with the four best runners-up.
The other four runners-up will progress to the third round of qualifying for the Asian Cup, along with all the third-placed teams and the four best fourth-placed teams.
The remaining sides, which will include Chinese Taipei who finished bottom of Group F after five consecutive defeats, will have to negotiate past two rounds of playoffs for one of the final eight spots in the Asian Cup third qualifying round.
Source: the-afc.com