Logo

The final Group B match of the men’s football event between hosts Laos and Singapore tomorrow will be moved to the 20,000 capacity Main Stadium of the National Sports Complex. The change also applies to the game between Myanmar and Indonesia which will be played first at 1500hrs while the Laos-Singapore match will kick-off at 1745hrs.

Initially, the two matches were supposed to take place at the smaller Chao Anuvong Stadium which has a seating capacity of just 10,000. But following the overwhelming response from the Laos populace to support their homegrown players as well as the fact that the national Under-23 side had beaten Indonesia in their last game, the move was deemed to be necessary.

Laos are currently at the top of Group B with four points from one win and one draw - the same with Singapore. The winner of the match tomorrow will take the group.

Photo:Lamnao Singto reacts after scoring his second goal in Laos ' 2-0 win over Indonesia at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

A semifinal berth for the Lao men's football team now seems within reach after they beat strong rivals Indonesia 2-0 in the Group B qualifying round of the 25th SEA Games yesterday at the Chao Anouvong Stadium in Vientiane .

Lao superstar Lamnao Singto scored twice to power the team to victory and boost the Lao team's semifinal hopes.

The performances of Lamnao and his teammates in the second match of their SEA Games campaign delighted every Lao football fan and warmed the hearts of people all across the country.

Although the away team was stronger the hosts were not intimidated, and exceeded all expectations by emerging triumphant ahead of their next match against Singapore on Thursday.

If the semifinals dream is to become reality, Laos must draw with Singapore .

At the start of the match against Indonesia , Laos attacked the away team, while Indonesia counter-attacked in an attempt to get the first goal. In the 22nd minute Kaysone Soukhavong took a corner kick which drove the ball to the front of the Indonesian goal. This gave Phatthana Sivilay the chance to shoot but Indonesia 's goalkeeper Frenky Irawan pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Despite the furious attack mounted by both teams the first half ended 0-0.

In the second half Lamnao Singto was on the receiving end of a pass from Khampheng Sayavuthi which he deftly shot between Frenky's legs to put Laos in the lead 1-0 in the 66th minute.

Nine minutes later with Laos appearing to be in the driving seat Phatthana Sivilay powered a long ball into the penalty area. The Indonesian goalkeeper caught the ball but it slipped out of his hands and Lamnao pounded it into the net to make it 2-0 for Laos .

With about 8,000 people screaming their support for Laos , the crowd was surely instrumental in willing the home team to victory.

A supporter told Vientiane Times after the match he was truly delighted with the result, especially as this was the first time he had attended a SEA Games match.

“I like Kaysone because he controls the ball well and passes it to his teammates. For sure I'll be cheering for Laos when they face Singapore on Thursday,” he said.

After the match the streets around the stadium were packed with people celebrating the victory. Some could be seen dancing along the road, others were singing lustily and people in restaurants gathered in excited throngs.

In 2007 Indonesia ousted Laos 4-0 at the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines .

Lao team head coach Alfred Riedl said that for the first time he had been training the team they played very well. But he didn't want to appear too enthusiastic because he knew the next match against Singapore would be tough, especially with a semifinal berth at stake.

On December 10, Laos will face Singapore and Indonesia will meet Myanmar at the Chao Anouvong Stadium.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Hosts Laos went to the top of Group B of the men’s football event when they beat Indonesia with a comprehensive 2-0 win in the match that was played at the Chao Anuvong Stadium this evening. Laos had held silver medallists Myanmar to a 1-1 draw in their first match of the competition two days ago. But this evening the young side under head coach Alfred Riedl were a lot more determined against an Indonesian eager to win the full points following their own drawn match against Singapore earlier.

It was to be the combination of Engel Bert Sani and Boaz Salossa who were again at the forefront of the Laos attack although they just can’t seem to break past the Laos defence marshalled by the duo of Kitsada and Ketsada.

The game was restricted very much in the midfield as Lamnao Singto once again formed a lethal partnership alongside the returned to fitness Kampheng Sayyavuthi. With the score tied at the half, the game picked up the tempo after the break with Lamnao coming close on several occassions.

But he more than made it up for his earlier misses when in the 66th minute, Kampheng played the ball to Lamnao who ran into the Indonesian box for a grounder which keeper Frenky Irawan tried in vain to stop as it trickled between his legs.

The goal was just what the capacity crowd wanted as they all jumped to their feet in a unison of blue and red - men, women, children and all waving flags. Indonesia attempted to get back into the game by putting more pressure at the centre of the park but it was all in vain as ten minutes later, Laos went further in front.

Lamnao was again in the thick of the action when he capitalised on a defensive mistake to slot the ball home for the hosts to pick up their first full points in the group.


Laoseagames

Malaysia gave a rousing start to their campaign in Group A of the men’s football event when they thrashed Timor Leste 11-0 in the first official competitive match that was played at the Main Stadium of the National Sports Complex. For Timor Leste, they just can’t seem to pull things together as captain Joao Paulo Da Silva tried hard to push forward but without support, he was not going to get far. The afternoon heat did not seem to bother the Malaysians one bit as they started off strongly by scoring their first goal of the game through Norshahrul Idlan Talaha in the third minute off a long pass from captain Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak.

They then doubled their lead in the 12th minute when off a Ahmad Fakri Saarani’s cross from the right, the waiting Badrol Bakhtiar blasted it home. The two goals gave the Malaysians the impetus to slow down the game somewhat but it did not in any way hinder their desire for more goals.

Striker Mohd Aidil Zaquan Abdul Razak grabbed the third goal of the game in the 15th minute, as Safiq Rahim then made the score sheet with the fourth in the 28th minute. Two minutes later, Norshahrul then scored his second of the evening as Ahmad Fakri beat the offside trap in the 41st minute for the Malaysians to take a 6-0 lead at the half.

The break step off the gas in the second half with head coach K. Rajagobal making several substitutions.

They only got going with further goals only in the 58th minute when Aidil Zafuan headed in the corner from Safiq before Ahmad Fakri completed his hat-trick with two quick strikes in the 76th and 77th minute to put the Malaysians 9-0 in front.

Substitute Amirulhadi Zainal (80th minute) and Amar Rohidan (90th minute) then got into the scoring act with two goals in the closing stages for the final scoreline.

SEA Games Laos