Sri Lanka face acid test today against Yemen

National Football Coach Andy Morrison elaborates on a certain point to the players at the final training session 

held yesterday

World Cup 2026 Qualifier 

Sri Lankan national soccerites will have a daunting task when they meet Yemen today in their first leg fixture of the World Cup 2026 Qualifier at Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Sports Complex in Abha, Saudi Arabia. 

After a period of one year due to the suspension by FIFA, the Lankan Lions will be seen in action and facing an acid test against Yemen. Newly appointed skipper Charith Ratnayaka will lead them in the first leg where he will have the services of other local players who donned the National jersey along with him at several tournaments before the suspension. He will also have the services of four overseas players, including Waseem Razeek who put up a swashbuckling performance at the four nations tournament held in Colombo. Brothers Sanjay and Kavin Anthony and Rajamohan Adhavan are the other three players who will strengthen the national side with the mix of the local players.

The national team last played in September 2021 at the AFC championship in Uzbekistan under make shift Coach Hassan Roomy. They lost all three matches – Thailand (2-0), Maldives (2-0) and Uzbekistan (3-0) respectively. Since then, it has been a barren calendar for them. 

Head Coach Andy Morrison who at a recent press briefing hailed the players for their cool-headed temperament, and said they will rotate the players depending on the prevailing situation of the game. He neither hinted about defensive play nor the attacking approach, which he said will be executed after a thorough study of their rivals.

Nevertheless, the Lankans are likely to give their best to retain any hopes of qualifying for the next stage of this competition. The second leg of this competition will be played at the Race Course stadium on the 17th of this month. 

Yemen is ranked 146 by FIFA. They lost to Oman 2-3 in a close tussle, while being drubbed by Iraq 5-0 in their recent outings.

Dr. Manil Fernando, who has been appointed to overlook the affairs of the National team, said: “Well it is going to be a herculean task for our team. After 12 months no competition in the country, the boys are out of touch. But they are a pretty determined lot and keen to give their best to the country. We as a nation hope and pray our boys will pull up something sensational to keep our chances alive in the remainder of the competition.”  - (AN)