DUBAI • His fans compare him to Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, and Chanathip Songkrasin proved that he too can be a match winner when his team need him most.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who plays his club football for Japan's Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, kept Thailand's Asian Cup hopes alive by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Bahrain in their second Group A match in Dubai yesterday.
The Thais were under pressure at the Al-Maktoum Stadium following their 4-1 loss to India on Sunday.
Milovan Rajevac was sacked as coach after that defeat, which meant the War Elephants needed a win yesterday to stay in contention to progress from the group stage.
They showed their ambition when Chanathip put the Thais in the driving seat in the 58th minute with a superbly struck volley that rocketed past goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar Alawi.
Thai interim head coach Sirisak Yodyadthai said he was not surprised with the result.
"I promised a surprise in the pre-match conference, and that came basically from the belief I had from my players," he told Dubai's Gulf News. "I always believed they could deliver on the pitch. We did very well to keep Bahrain away from a goal in the first half and, in the second, the players delivered exactly what I wanted."
It was only Thailand's second Asian Cup win in 22 games. Their previous win came in 2007, when they beat Oman on home soil.
The win did not come easy. Thailand had zero shots on target as Bahrain controlled the first half, forcing goalkeeper Chatchai Bootprom into a double save.
Following Chanathip's goal, Chatchai again had to save brilliantly from Ali Jaafar Madan as Bahrain hunted unsuccessfully for the equaliser. The victory put Thailand temporarily level on three points with India, who took on the United Arab Emirates in a later match, the result of which was not available at press time.
The Thais next face hosts UAE on Monday in their final group match.
The top two from each group and four best third-placed teams will move into the last 16.
In another match yesterday, Jordan, who upset champions Australia in the tournament opener, became the first team to seal their progress to the knockout stage with a 2-0 win over Syria. The victory left them top of Group B with six points.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
PALESTINE V AUSTRALIA
Singtel TV Ch114 & StarHub Ch208, 6.50pm
Photos of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and colleagues in the days of little beginning and now
EPL, English Premier League news: Brendan Rodgers set to make
Premier League top-four race: Who has the best run-in? Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs or Chelsea? United are currently joint fourth favourites along with Bayern Munich, ahead of both
Arsenal's run-in - metro.co.uk
Report Ad
Free Shipping Available. Buy on eBay. Money Back Guarantee!
Mar 15, 2019 · Olivier Giroud is the Europa League's top scorer - here he is, with Dominic Fifield: Olivier Giroud wants Premier League spot at Chelsea after European hat-trick Read more
Olivier Giroud determined to earn starting spot for Chelsea
Football: Ikhsan Fandi scores first competitive goal for Norwegian club Raufoss with overhead-kick winner The top two teams earn automatic promotion while third to sixth enter the play-off for
Ikhsan Fandi scores 1st goal for Norwegian club Raufoss with
An early goal from Mohamed Salah and a late one from Divock Origi gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's all-English Champions League final as coach Juergen Klopp finally got his hands on Europe's biggest prize.
Salah, Origi strike to give Liverpool Champions League triumph
NYTimes.com Site Map. For a comprehensive guide to our site, please see the Site Index.
07 May 2019 News Archive | Daily Mail Online | Daily Mail Online
Football: Kedah-bound national defender Shakir Hamzah enjoying a new lease of life. Dec 24, 2018, 12:14 am. premium. Football: Shakir Hamzah gets one-year offer from former Malaysia Cup champions
Kedah News, Scores, Schedule, Stats, Teamsheet - soccer - MSN
By Neil Robinson. LONDON (Reuters) - A goal by Michail Antonio ensured West Ham United became the first visiting team to win at Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium as Mauricio Pochettino's third-placed side missed the chance to effectively secure a Premier League top-four place on Saturday.
Spurs beaten for first time in new stadium; Saints stay up
Explore Glassdoor. Glassdoor has millions of jobs, salary information, company reviews, and interview questions - all posted anonymously by employees and job seekers. See what others are looking for on Glassdoor today.
Career Tops Sold Direct on eBay | Fantastic Prices on Career Tops
AD
Arsenal, who are fifth in the table following a 5-1 defeat by leaders Liverpool on Saturday, host Fulham on Tuesday. Also Read: Arsenal set for third consecutive season without Champions League
Arsenal's Emery fined for kicking bottle at Brighton fan
I trust him - Solskjaer refusing to drop struggling De Gea When asked if he was considering taking De Gea out of his starting line-up, Solskjaer replied: "No, not at all. I trust David.
I trust him - Solskjaer refusing to drop struggling De Gea
Japan coach disappointed but pleased with progress at Asian Cup but former coach Stephen Constantine says the team's spirited showing in the Asian Cup football tournament has earned them
Liverpool's record with Champions League final referee will have Reds fans worried. Damir Skomina will take charge of Liverpool vs Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid
UEFA Champions League Prize Money 2019 (Confirmed)