Breathless, a Southeast Asian representative unexpectedly eliminated from Asian Cup

Myanmar team dramatically defeated Afghanistan 2-1 but still officially eliminated from Asian Cup 2027.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory away, Myanmar's national team could not maintain hopes of advancing in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifying round. The penultimate match of Group E in Afghanistan on March 26 witnessed a determined performance by the Southeast Asian representative.

From the 10th minute, Myanmar conceded an early goal after a precise strike by the host Afghanistan. However, instead of losing morale, the yellow-shirted players quickly adjusted their play, increased pressure on the opponent's goal, and created numerous dangerous opportunities.

After repeated attacks, Myanmar equalized 1-1 at minute 45+1 thanks to Than Paing's goal. This goal helped the Southeast Asian team maintain high spirits before halftime, and demonstrated their quick response after falling behind.

In the second half, Myanmar continued relentless attacks and finally scored the decisive 2-1 goal at minute 73 by Hein Khun Kyaw Zin. This victory reflected the team's tireless fighting spirit and proved the squad's effort under difficult circumstances.

However, this result was still insufficient for Myanmar's national team to advance. After 5 matches, they only had 9 points, while Syria's team secured qualification with 15 points. Despite the win, Myanmar was officially eliminated from Asian Cup 2027.

Myanmar's final match will occur on March 31 against Pakistan. Although no longer having advancement opportunity, the team aims for the best result to improve FIFA ranking position, and concludes the qualifying round with resilient and determined spirit.