The Turkmenistan national football team continues to lead the group D standings of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying tournament, despite losing to Sri Lanka in the away match of the third round.

On Thursday, the Turkmen footballers lost to their opponents 0-1. Leon Pereira scored the only goal in the 67th minute. The match was tense and did not reflect the balance of power on the field. The Turkmenistan national team created several dangerous moments, but luck was not on the side of head coach Rovshan Meredov's side. In one instance, the ball hit the crossbar, and the home team's defender Tayaparan twice made saves, clearing the ball just off the goal line.

In the first half, Sri Lanka held the initiative, but after the break, the Turkmen team noticeably improved and controlled the game, creating chance after chance.

The defeat came as a surprise, given the two teams' history of rivalry. Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka had met five times before this match, and the record was overwhelmingly in Turkmenistan's favor: four wins and one draw. This was the team's first defeat to Sri Lanka.

Despite the disappointing result, the Turkmenistan team retains first place in group D. The team, like Thailand and Sri Lanka, has six points each, but the Turkmen players are ahead of their opponents on additional criteria. Chinese Taipei, who have yet to earn any points, is at the bottom of the standings.

On October 14, the Turkmenistan national team will play the return match against Sri Lanka at the stadium in Arkadag. The match kicks off at 6:45 PM local time and will be a historic occasion – it will be the national team's first game at this arena. The home atmosphere and support from the fans should help the team gain revenge and strengthen its position in the group.

The 2027 Asian Cup will be held from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia. The tournament will feature 24 of the continent's strongest teams, 18 of which have already secured a spot. Turkmenistan continues to compete for a spot.