What to know before cheering the Thai national team against Turkmenistan: no VAR and the first use of IFAB's new rule where the goalkeeper holding the ball over 8 seconds results in an immediate corner kick.
On 30 March 2026 at the meeting room inside Rajamangala Stadium, the organizing committee held a pre-match managers' meeting for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying Group D, matchday 6 between Thailand and Turkmenistan scheduled for 31 March 2026 at 19:30 at Rajamangala Stadium.
Representatives from both national teams, Thailand and Turkmenistan, along with the organizing committee and other officials, attended this meeting.
In this match, the Thai team will wear blue kits with the goalkeeper in red, while Turkmenistan will wear white kits with the goalkeeper in orange.
Summary of other meeting points:
- VAR technology will not be used in this round, unlike in previous matches.
- The match will immediately implement new rules from the IFAB 2025/26 regulations, such as goalkeepers being allowed to hold the ball for no more than 8 seconds; otherwise, an immediate corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
- In this tournament, if teams are tied on points, the head-to-head record will be used as the first tiebreaker.
For this match, the Thai men's national football team must defeat Turkmenistan to qualify for the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The match will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32, www.thairath.co.th/tv/live, Facebook: Thairath TV (www.facebook.com/ThairathTV) and Thairath Sport (www.facebook.com/ThairathSport), and YouTube: Thairath Sport.