A Young Elephants player wrests the ball from his Ezra opponent, with the match ending in a 2-0 win for the Young Elephants at National Stadium in Vientiane last week.                                                                                              –Photo Lao Football Federation

Young Elephants close in on League 1 championship

The Young Elephants FC are in with a good chance of lifting the trophy in the Pepsi Lao Premier League 1 again this year and are currently well ahead in the rankings.
Several of the club’s players are in the national U-23 squad and played in the South East Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam last month. Some members of the team are foreign nationals and the side is known for its strong teamwork.
The club has chalked up seven wins and one draw and have 22 points in total to date, well ahead of the second placed club with 14 points.
Each team in the league will play 12 matches and are currently facing off in the second leg of the tournament.
The top scorer this week was named as Rafael Master 7 FC’s player, Rodrigues, whose accurate striking won eight goals for the club.
Young Elephants striker Bounkong Bounphachan came second with six goals, while his teammate Lucas Marques da Silva placed third after scoring five goals.
On Sunday, Luang Prabang province FC will take on Ezra FC at the province’s main stadium at 6pm, and on the same day Champassak province FC will face Viengchanh FC at the main stadium at 4pm.
All provinces hope to test the skills of their players in the League 1 tournament, with the best footballers to be selected to represent their home province at the National Games in Xieng Khuang province in December.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update June 3, 2022)