Women footballers train at the national sports training centre in Vientiane. --Photo Lao Football Federation

Lao squad plan to up their game at AFF Women’s Championship

The Lao Football Federation is making selections for a team to take part in the Asean Football Federation’s (AFF) Women’s Championship 2022, taking place in the Philippines from July 4-17.
The players are being selected from the women’s squad that competed in the SEA Games in Vietnam in May, amid hopes they will perform better in the Philippines than they did in Hanoi.
The team is now training at the Federation’s national sports training centre in Vientiane, led by head coach Mr Vongmixay Soubuakham. He also managed the women’s team competing at the SEA Games, but they were unable to get past the first round.
Mr Vongmixay hopes to improve the players’ tactics ahead of the championship in the Philippines, so that they are more competitive and rise in the rankings. 
Laos has been drawn in Group B, along with Vietnam, Myanmar, Timor Leste and Cambodia, with the Vietnamese and Myanmar teams likely to prove the toughest opponents.
The match schedule sees Laos take on Cambodia on July 5 at 7pm and Timor Leste on July 7 at 4pm.
The toughest hurdle will come when Laos faces Vietnam on July 9 at 7pm, followed by Myanmar on July 11 at 4pm.
Group A in the championship comprises Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia.
The matches will take place at the Binan Football Stadium, with the semifinals scheduled for July 15 and the final on July 17.
Since 2016, women footballers have competed at the Asean Championship and other events in Asia, with the most outstanding players now forming the national team.
In October 2021, Laos took part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Qualifiers, hosted by Bahrain.

 

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update July 4, 2022)