Fiji’s hopes of reaching the final of the King’s Cup were dashed tonight after a 3-0 defeat to hosts Thailand at the Kanchanaburi Provincial Stadium.
The Bula Boys, who came into the clash aiming to cause an upset, were put under pressure early as Thailand struck twice in the opening 20 minutes. Benjamin Davis opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Teerasak Poeiphimai doubled the advantage ten minutes later.
Despite regrouping and showing more composure as the first half wore on, Fiji found themselves trailing further when Prames Ajwilai netted Thailand’s third just two minutes into the second half.
The loss means Fiji will now contest the third-place playoff against Hong Kong tomorrow, after Iraq edged Hong Kong 2-1 in the other semi-final.
For Fiji, the match was another valuable experience against a higher-ranked opponent as they continue to build their combinations and depth at international level.
Fiji plays Hong Kong at 9pm tomorrow.