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Dresden football hero Kammerknecht leads Sri Lanka to victory over Taiwan
Dynamo Dresden's Claudio Kammerknecht plays for Sri Lanka in the 2027 Asian Cup. His team recently won 3-1 against Taiwan.
Dresden football hero Kammerknecht leads Sri Lanka to victory over Taiwan
Claudio Kammerknecht, the 25-year-old professional from Dynamo Dresden, has entered an exciting chapter in his career with the Sri Lanka national team. Thanks to a 3-1 win against Taiwan in a crucial qualifier for the 2027 Asian Cup, Dynamo's second division player can dream big. The match took place at the Race Course Stadium in Colombo and was played in front of 3,710 enthusiastic spectators. Kammerknecht played the full 90 minutes and was a crucial part of the team that has now reached the third qualifying round for the major tournament in Saudi Arabia.
In this reconquista, our hero Kammerknecht scored the late 2-2 draw in the playoff against Cambodia and was celebrated as a national hero for it. But that's not all: Sri Lanka now has to compete against Thailand and Turkmenistan to secure the coveted participation in the 19th Asian Football Championship. Sri Lanka lost 1-0 to Thailand in their first game, but their recent performance against Taiwan gives hope.
A special team and a special connection
What makes this story so exciting? Kammerknecht has a close connection to Sri Lanka. He is fluent in Sinhalese and not only has relatives on the island, but his sister was also crowned Miss Sri Lanka in 2018. Only his first name can be found on his jersey, which gives him a special status. Another highlight is Berlin-born Ahmed Waseem Razeek, who scored the third goal against Taiwan and is therefore also in the public eye.
The special thing about the Asian Championship is that it will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7th to February 5th, 2027. A total of 24 teams will take part and qualification for this will run until March 2026. The first two rounds of qualification have already started in October 2023, with all 47 member associations of the AFC expected to apply. Sri Lanka have to be careful in Group D as Turkmenistan lead with two wins while Sri Lanka and Thailand have three points each.
Outlook and further challenges
Kammerknecht will fly back to Germany on Thursday to prepare for the next round of qualification. The team will face Turkmenistan on October 9th, and this will show whether the island team can take advantage of the chance for greater glory. The challenges are enormous.
Despite the current low position in the FIFA world rankings - Sri Lanka is ranked 200th out of 210 - the team makes a great impression and shows that with a little sweat and heart, miracles can happen in football. The nostalgia and hope that Kammerknecht and his teammates are spreading could perhaps be exactly what Sri Lanka needs to reshape its footballing future.
For more information on this exciting topic, you can read the articles from Picture and DNN read, as well as further details Asian Football Championship 2027 look up.