Thailand guaranteed a place in last 16 of Asian Cup football
Thailand's national team were ensured a place in the knockout stages of the 2023 Asian Cup football after Japan beat Indonesia on Wednesday night in Doha.
The Group D match had huge implications for Thailand's qualification, after Thailand had 4 points from two group games, securing a 2-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan, and later drawing 0-0 against Oman.
As the third-ranked team in the other groups had less than four points, Thailand was guaranteed a place in the final 16.
This is the second consecutive time the Thai national team has achieved the feat, following their qualification in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates.
Thailand still have one more match in the group stages, against Saudi Arabia at the Education City Stadium on Thursday night, 10pm Thailand time.
A victory will put Thailand at the top of Group F, earning a knockout contest against the runner-up of Group E (South Korea, Jordan, or Bahrain) in a match scheduled for January 30, at the Education City Stadium.
If the match with Saudi Arabia ends in a draw, Thailand will be the runner-up of Group F and will face Uzbekistan at the Al Janoub Stadium on January 30.
A defeat could earn them a face-off with Iraq, the Group D champions, at Al Bayt Stadium on January 29.
