AFC Asian Cup 2023: Saudi Arabia share spoils with Thailand

Saudi Arabia will take on South Korea in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 RO16.

Saudi Arabia and Thailand shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw in their final match of Group F of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 at Education City Stadium on Thursday.

The result, coupled with Oman’s 1-1 draw against Kyrgyz Republic in the other Group F match, meant the Green Falcons confirmed the top spot in the group and Thailand finished second, while Oman’s two points were not enough for them to advance as one of the best-ranked third-placed teams.

Head coach Roberto Mancini made nine changes to the Saudi Arabia starting XI that beat Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in the previous match, including a debut for goalkeeper Raghed Najjar.

Saudi Arabia had a golden opportunity to take the lead inside the opening 10 minutes when defender Suphan Thongsong pushed Abdulrahman Ghareeb inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot following a VAR review. Young striker Abdullah Radif stepped up, but his effort from the penalty was denied by goalkeeper Saranon Anuin.

A few minutes later, Thailand thought they had opened the scoring when Teerasak Poeiphimai’s diving header beat goalkeeper Raghed Najjar, but the forward was deemed offside. A similar incident at the other end saw a Radif goal chalked off for offside just seconds later.

Salem Al Dawsari tested Anuin with a long-range strike midway through the opening period, but the Thai goalkeeper was alert to the threat and made the save.

For the third time in the game, the ball found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside, this time, with 10 minutes left in the first half, it was Thailand’s Worachit Kanitsribampen who strayed beyond the last defender.

Saudi Arabia ramped up the pressure after the restart with Ghareeb the liveliest on the pitch, breaking into the Thai penalty box on a couple of occasions and firing from distance only to be denied by Anuin.

Thailand’s biggest chance of the second half came through Jaroensak Wonggorn who cut inside from the right flank and looked to curl an effort from the edge of the area, but his shot missed the Saudi goal.

Saudi Arabia’s Talal Haji made history after coming in as a second-half substitute at the age of 16 years and 131 days, becoming the second youngest player to appear at the AFC Asian Cup after Syria’s Munaf Ramadan (16 years and 45 days v Saudi Arabia in 1988). He nearly marked his continental debut with a goal when he met Nasser Al Dawsari’s cross with a towering header from close-range but was denied by the Thai goalkeeper.

Despite a flurry of half-chances at both ends, neither side was able to break the deadlock, with Thailand remaining one of two teams not to concede a goal in the group stage alongside Qatar, while Saudi Arabia’s record of never finishing a group stage with the full nine points extends for yet another tournament.

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