Thailand defeated Singapore, coach Mano Polking temporarily retained his seat

Thailand started this match quite well. Coach Mano Polking’s team took the lead early in the 5th minute. In this situation, captain Theerathon Bunmathan initiated the away team’s attack.

The ball went to Ekanit Panya, before this player passed to Supachok Sarachat. This striker shot the ball decisively, beating Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny and scoring to help Thailand take a 1-0 lead.

It was thought that an early goal would help the Thai players have an easy match. However, the Golden Temple team suddenly conceded a goal at the end of the first half.

In the 40th minute, Singaporean player Shawal Anuar, coming off the bench, picked up a pass from his teammate, rushed down and beat goalkeeper Kampphon Pathamarakul, equalizing the score 1-1 for Singapore.

In the second half, Thailand pushed their team higher to put pressure on Singapore’s field. But it wasn’t until veteran striker Teerasil Dangda entered the field that the Golden Temple team was able to find a goal to increase their gap.

In the 66th minute, Teerasil Dangda created a wall for Suphanat Mueanta to rush into Singapore’s 16m50 area. Suphanat Mueanta shot diagonally from about 15 meters, scoring to increase the score to 2-1 for Thailand.

It didn’t stop here, about 3 minutes before the match ended, Thailand scored a third goal. In the 87th minute, it was Teerasil Dangda who made the wall for Suphanat Mueanta. This time Suphanat Mueanta fired a low shot from about 25 meters, beating goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, sealing a 3-1 victory for Thailand.

The victory over Singapore is Thailand’s first win in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia. This win helps coach Mano Polking’s team revive hope of continuing.

As for Coach Mano Polking himself, he temporarily overcame the turbulent times. Before kickoff, the Brazilian coach faced pressure to resign if he lost to Singapore.

In the match at the same time, Korea defeated China 3-0. With this result, Korea leads Group C with 6 points. Thailand ranked 2nd with the same 3 points as China but with a better goal difference. Singapore ranked bottom of the table with no points.