Salaah Said Al Yahyaei (L) of Oman vies with Sami Alnaji of Saudi Arabia during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
DOHA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Supachai Chaided scored in each half to help Thailand secure a 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan at the AFC Asian Cup on Tuesday, marking the end of the first round of group matches.
Thailand, delivering a dominant performance to win their opening Group F match, became the first Southeast Asian team to clinch three points at the tournament so far. This came after Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam had suffered defeats.
Bordin Phala cut inside before unleashing a curling grounder, which Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev parried into the path of Supachai, who then converted a rebound in the 26th minute to establish the 1-0 lead.
Supachai, the 25-year-old forward, netted his second goal three minutes after the interval with another tap-in as Kyrgyzstan struggled to deal with a cross.
Thailand, which reached the knockout stage for the first time in the 2019 edition of the tournament, now leads Group F with three points, alongside Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia clinched a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Oman on Tuesday night.
Roberto Mancini's side was favored to win the tournament in Doha, but Oman played compact and well-organized, relying on solid defense and quick counter-attacks.
Salaah Al Yahyaei converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review, putting Oman in front after 14 minutes.
Saudi Arabia, three-time champions of the Asian Cup, equalized in the 78th minute when Abdulrahman Ghareeb dribbled past three Oman defenders and tucked the ball into the back of the net.
The last-gasp winner came in the sixth minute of injury time as Ali Al Bulayhi scored with a close-range header, which was initially disallowed for offside but later awarded after a VAR review.
A total of 24 teams are competing in six groups at the Asian Cup, which runs from January 12 to February 10.
Six group winners and runners-up will advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams. ■
Ali Lajami (R top) of Saudi Arabia head the ball against Ahmed Al Kaabi of Oman (L top) during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Abdulrahman Ghareeb (2nd R) of Saudi Arabia shoots during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Abdullah Radif (C) of Saudi Arabia dribbles during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Ali Albulayhi of Saudi Arabia (2nd L) celebrates a goal with teammates during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Salaah Said Al Yahyaei (L) of Oman celebrates a goal during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
Salaah Said Al Yahyaei (2nd L) of Oman celebrates a goal during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
Ali Albulayhi of Saudi Arabia (3rd L) celebrates a goal with teammates during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Salaah Said Al Yahyaei (R) of Oman scores a goal during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Ali Albulayhi of Saudi Arabia celebrates with Ahmed Alkassar during the Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
