Thailand and Turkmenistan face off Tuesday night in a key Group D clash of the qualifiers for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup with the winners almost certain to seal a spot in the finals in Saudi Arabia.
Hosts Turkmenistan had a 2-1 win against Taiwan in March which left them at the top of the group on goal difference with Thailand lying in second place after edging Sri Lanka 1-0.
Thailand are fresh from their 2-0 victory over India in a Fifa Day friendly on Wednesday in Bangkok.
The winners of the six groups in the qualifying tournament will join the 18 countries who have already qualified for the finals in Saudi Arabia.
Thailand coach Masatada Ishii told a pre-match press conference in Ashgabat on Monday that he tried some new players in the game against India and "I am happy we didn't concede any goals in the match.
"However, it will be a different game against Turkmenistan.
"This match will be played on an artificial surface, but we have prepared ourselves for it already.
"Our bigger problem is that we are missing some key players in the attack, so we had to select the players who were fit for these two games.
"I have faith in all the players I have here and I am hoping that they will put on a good show against Turkmenistan.
"The opponents have a new coach, but from what I have seen, they haven't changed their style much. They are a very organised team."
Thailand left wing-back Airfan Doloh said: "I don't think the synthetic turf will have a major impact on our game here, so we can look forward to a good match."
The match will kick off at 10pm (Thai time) and will be broadcast live by Thai Rath TV (32).
Asean women's meet draw
The Asean Football Federation (AFF) on Monday had an official draw for the Asean Women's Championship or MSIG Serenity Cup, which will be held in Vietnam from Aug 6-19.
The tournament will feature eight national teams from AFF member associations with matches scheduled to be played at Hai Phong's Lach Tray Stadium and Viet Tri Stadium in Viet Tri.
As a result of the draw, four-time champions Thailand will be facing hosts Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia in the Group A matches of the tournament.
Defending champions the Philippines have been placed in Group B where they expect some tough battles with Australia, Myanmar and Timor Leste.