• Breaks 12-year drought against their hosts 

Sri Lanka recorded a conclusive 3-0 win over Seychelles ending a 12-year wait for a victory against their hosts in Victoria, Mahe Island, Seychelles in their FIFA International match on Sunday (27).

A resurgent Sri Lankan side led by goalkeeper Sujan Perera once again demonstrated its steady progress, confidence and fighting spirit, maintaining control of the game from the kick off.

Just before half-time plus in two minutes of stoppage time, forward Raul Suresh was fouled inside the penalty area and Sri Lanka were awarded a penalty by the referee.

Experienced midfielder Adavan Rajamohan then stepped up confidently and made no mistake, firing the ball into the net to give Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead at the interval.

After the restart the tourists continued to dominate and Adavan Rajamohan then produced a moment of brilliance in the 53rd minute, finding the net with a superb free-kick from just outside the penalty area, to collect his second goal of the night and extend SL’s lead to 2-0.

In the 76th minute winger Dillon de Silva sealed the memorable triumph for the visitors, with a wonderful third goal from the right wing, completing a one-sided 3-0 win for the Abdullah Al Mutairi-coached team.

President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) Jaswar Umar described the victory on Sunday, as an important step in Sri Lanka’s preparations for the SAFF Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh in November.

“The team is continuing its journey towards becoming a stronger and more competitive side in the region,” Umar told The Daily Morning Sports, from Seychelles in the wake of the team’s latest win.

“This is only the start for the team and I am optimistic that they will continue in this vein and win the next match and then go to Mauritius for the next two matches in October in high spirits. These games will be invaluable preparation for the team for the big one coming up in November.”

Sri Lanka are striving to regain the SAFF Cup after a lapse of 31 years during this year’s edition in Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka had last beaten Seychelles in a FIFA International match back in 2014, when they prevailed 2-1 in Victoria, Seychelles and coincidentally they returned to the same venue on Sunday to roar again.

Sujan Perera’s team who climbed to 186th in FIFA World Rankings following the victory over the weekend, are set to face the same opposition on Wednesday (30), after which they are to meet Mauritius in Mauritius in two fixtures scheduled for 2 and 5 October.