Four unexpected players revealed among the five Thai national team members who ran the most in the match against Turkmenistan, securing their ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup.
On 1 April 2026 GMT+7, interesting statistics about the Thai national team were revealed after the conclusion of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round 3, Group D, matchday 6, held at Rajamangala Stadium, where Thailand edged Turkmenistan 2-1.
Thailand took the lead 1-0 through Suphanat Bureerat in the 14th minute before Taymur Shariev scored a decisive equalizer for Turkmenistan in the 60th minute. Finally, Manuel Tom Bihr, a German-Thai defender, headed the winning goal in the 89th minute to seal a 2-1 victory.
This win raised Thailand's total to 15 points, overtaking Turkmenistan's 12 points to claim the top spot in Group D of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round 3, securing a place in the finals in Saudi Arabia, and boosting their FIFA world ranking from 96th to 93rd.
Recently, the list of the five Thai national players who ran the most in the win over Turkmenistan was disclosed. Suphanat Bureerat, the attacking right-back, led the list, followed by captain Chanathip Songkrasin, Theerathon Bunmathan who provided two assists, Manuel Tom Bihr, the hero with the winning header, and Jonathan Khemdee, a promising young defender.
The unexpected fact is that among the top five Thai players with the highest running distances in this match, four are aged 32 or older. This highlights their dedication, hard work, and physical fitness despite their age.
- Suphanat Bureerat (32 years old): 10 kilometers
- Chanathip Songkrasin (32 years old): 9.1 kilometers
- Theerathon Bunmathan (36 years old): 9 kilometers
- Manuel Tom Bihr (32 years old): 9 kilometers
- Jonathan Khemdee (23 years old): 8.6 kilometers
