SL move up in FIFA Rankings despite defeat

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Yemen in the FIFA International Friendly Football Series second-leg match played in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka went into this game with confidence having defeated the same opponents 1-0 at the same venue but Yemen came back strongly to avenge that defeat.

Yemen took a 1-0 lead at half time after M. Mohammad netted the opener in the 20th minute of the game.

Sri Lanka made few desperate attempts in search of the equaliser but eventually, Yemen sealed the contest in their favour by scoring the second goal in the first minute of extra time.

Nasar did the honours for Yemen with a well-executed goal that completely shattered the Sri Lankan defence.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka moved up three ranks after completing the Yemen match series. Sri Lanka won one game and Yemen won one game each and Sri Lanka gained +3.41 points due to winning against a higher-ranking team.

Sri Lanka were at 203rd position before they travelled to Qatar to play with Yemen and now they are returning with three positions up at 200 after a successful and most wanted experience.