COLOMBO : It was Sri Lanka’s first-ever win over Turkmenistan in international football. Ranked 197th in the FIFA standings, the islanders stunned the 138th-ranked visitors with an inspired and disciplined display that sent the packed home crowd into celebration.
The hero of the night was Leon Perera, who scored the decisive goal in the 67th minute, guiding the hosts to a famous victory after the first half ended goalless.
Sri Lanka’s defender Jason Thayaparan was outstanding, pulling off two brilliant saves to deny Turkmenistan and was later named Player of the Match for his heroic performance.
Despite facing a team ranked much higher, Sri Lanka played with confidence and aggression. The hosts created several scoring chances, pressing Turkmenistan with high intensity from the opening whistle.
In the first half, Waseem Razik came close to scoring twice — once hitting the upright and again being denied by the Turkmenistan goalkeeper. In the 28th minute, debutant Jeremy Perera was forced to leave the field due to injury, making way for Dillon de Silva.
After four minutes of added time, the first half ended 0-0, but Sri Lanka had already shown their intent.
The breakthrough finally came in the 67th minute. From the left flank, Sam Durrant launched a precise cross which was cleverly directed by Adhavan Rajamohan into the box. Leon Perera seized the opportunity, beating the goalkeeper with a powerful strike to give Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead.
