The Lao Under-19 football team will leave Vientiane on Sunday for the AFC Championship qualifiers in Bangkok , Thailand , but the players fly with uncertainty over their chances of reaching the next stage of the competition.
Under-19 national players in training in Vientiane for the AFC Championship qualifiers in Bangkok , Thailand .
The team will join Group E for qualifying round matches against Japan , Myanmar , the Maldives , Chinese Taipei and hosts Thailand from November 6-18, with only the top two teams advancing to next year's final round.
Aside from competing in such a strong group, the main worries of head coach Vangchay Meuangmany are missing key players to other commitments and the sketchy standard of play within the team.
This is the first regional tournament for which Mr Vangchay has been appointed head coach since the Brunei Asean U-21 Championships in 2002. Previously Vangchay has led the Lao national squad to the Asian Games in Thailand and World Cup qualifiers in 1998 and Brunei SEA Games in 1999.
Vangchay's finest hour was leading the U-20 team to third place at the Thailand Asean Championships in 2001.
“I can say today only that I will try to do the best I can. I cannot talk about our chances of getting past the qualifying stage yet because all of our opponents in the group are very strong,” the coach told Vientiane Times yesterday.
“The preparation time was also very short and I didn't have much time for selecting players. I arrived at the training camp just four days before sending the final list of players to the organising committee,” he said.
“Meanwhile, some of the best players in our team were called up for the U-23 squad for the SEA Games, while others were not able to attend the training camp for various reasons. I have only 19 players on the list today, and I can't cut or add more players because the registration deadline from the organisers has already passed,” he said.
On the plus side Mr Vangchay observed that the teamwork and fitness of his team had improved compared to previous warm up matches, but they were still far from ready for the tough qualifying group.
In their last warm up before flying to Bangkok , the U-19s play Lao-American College FC at 5pm today at Vientiane National Stadium.
Schedule of Group E competition
November 6:
Japan vs. Chinese Taipei
Thailand vs. Maldives
November 8:
Laos vs. Myanmar
Maldives vs. Japan
November 10:
Laos vs. Thailand
Myanmar vs. Chinese Taipei
November 12:
Laos vs. Maldives
Myanmar vs. Chinese Taipei
November 14:
Chinese Taipei vs. Thailand
Laos vs. Japan
November 16:
Myanmar vs. Thailand
Chinese Taipei vs. Maldives
November 18:
Japan vs. Thailand
Laos vs. Chinese Taipei
Maldives vs. Myanmar
By Sisay Vilaysack (Latest Update November 1, 2007)
