There have been fears that the weather condition in the former Soviet Union state would hamper Thailand's chances of making it through to the next round. However, the Thai side were relieved after learning the match was scheduled for the afternoon rather than in near freezing conditions in the evening.

"The condition of the pitch here is not much different from what we are used to at home. The temperature during the match will also not be as cold as we had expected. There is sunlight and that should help the players keep warm," said Kasem.

"I'm not concerned much about the game. Both teams are like two blind men as we have never seen each other play before. Given the state of our preparations, I believe we could win tomorrow."

Thailand are likely to take a cautious approach and play the 5-3-2 formation, with Teeratep "Leesaw" Winothai and Ronachai Rungsiyo, who used to train at Everton Academy under the "Chang-Everton Rising Star" programme, upfront.

Rovshan Muhadov, the Turkmenistan's team coach, said his side will try to exploit their physical advantage and gain an upper hand in the tie before the return leg on February 14.

Meanwhile, the Asean Football Federation (AFF) has decided not to take any action against Thailand over the walkout incident in the Asean Football Championship first-leg final in Singapore.

The Thai team protested against referee M Ravichandran's decision to award a late controversial penalty by walking off the field, resulting in suspension of play for 15 minutes.

Although many criticised Thailand's behaviour, which they deemed as unprofessional, the AFF opted to reprimand the Thai team and ensure that such an incident would not happen again in the future.