• Sujan Perera’s men jump to 191st in FIFA World Rankings
• Bonus of Rs. 6.9 m for team

Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar has said that the National Team’s historic 1-0 win over Turkmenistan on Thursday (9) was the “perfect riposte” to critics who yet question the composition of the team and the nationality of certain players.

He said that the changes needed to revitalise Sri Lankan football had been made by players with Sri Lankan citizenship and insisted that the professionalism imbued into the system by them had enabled Sri Lanka to turn a corner in international football.

“For a long time, it was only a dream for Sri Lanka to be among the top 20 movers in FIFA World Rankings,” said Umar, who was recently appointed to FIFA’s Grassroots and Amateur Football Committee. 

He expressed these views during a press briefing held at the Football House in Colombo on Friday (10) to launch the Federation Cup 2025 Under 12 Football Tournament, which began in Colombo yesterday (11) and will conclude today (12). 

“Not only have we (Sri Lanka) been among the top 20 movers, but we have now topped that list as well. This has been possible due to the efforts of our players, who are of true Sri Lankan blood and nationality. 

“The team delivered the best possible answer on Thursday to all those who still criticise the composition and nationality of our players, and I don’t feel there is anything left for me to say,” he stated.

Umar added that in the past, Sri Lanka had played amateur-level football where its fortunes in the international game had nosedived, but observed that “old-fashioned” ways of thinking had now been shed to suit the needs of the modern game.

“World football is now professionalised and we have embraced that concept to the best of our ability. Therefore, we have now brought professional footballers to our system and the results are there for all to see.”

Led by Sujan Perera, Sri Lanka recently ended a 22-year jinx against Turkmenistan, where they had failed to beat the tourists in six previous attempts, with their emphatic victory in the first leg of the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifiers third-round match at the Race Course Ground in Colombo.

Umar, who has presided over the National Team’s recent resurgence in the world game, said the memorable triumph over Turkmenistan had allowed Sri Lanka to jump to the 191st position in FIFA World Rankings, having languished as low as 207 before he assumed office.

He added that the National Team’s trajectory during the past year or so had further vindicated the capacity for the sport to spread its wings across the length and breadth of the nation, while underscoring its fervent following by fans.

“I believe the potential that we have to face the football world and go forward is immense. This grand win by the National Team is further proof of where we (Sri Lanka) can go as far as international football is concerned,” he stated.

The FFSL President described the Federation Cup 2025 Under 12 Football Tournament organised by the Manchester Soccer Academy (MSA) as a pathway for young stars to represent the national team in the future.

Umar remarked that during the past 24-month period, he had been preoccupied with the task of building the National Team and bringing them to their current level, where they are now able to hold their own against any international team in the region, unlike in the past.

“I was focussing primarily on building the National Team, because that is the image and the brand of any country,” he pointed out.

“Without building that aspect, there would have been no aspirations, no interest, and no attraction. But when we build the National Team and when they grow, and when they rise in FIFA World Rankings, then everybody is happy – the parents are happy, the partners are happy, the academies are happy, and its ripple effect on stakeholders can be seen.”

Asked about the National Team’s preparations for the return leg against Turkmenistan in Ashgabat on Tuesday (14), Umar was of the view that the team would look to build on their momentous victory over the same opposition in Colombo last Thursday.

Sri Lanka, who drew level with Turkmenistan on points in the Group ‘D’ standings, having each secured wins in two matches, flew out in the early hours of yesterday.

Umar further said that the game’s local governing body had also offered the team a bonus of Rs. 6.9 million, to be distributed among the 23-member national squad (with each player entitled to Rs. 300,000), in recognition of their maiden victory over the 138th-ranked Turkmenistan.