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Malaysia rallied to beat hosts Laos 3-1 in the second semi-final to book their place in the final against Vietnam which will be played at the same venue of the Main Stadium in Vientiane on Dec 17.

The final appearance is the first for the Malaysians in eight years since 2001 when they lost to Thailand in Kuala Lumpur.

And this evening with the expectant fans heavily backing the home team to make their debut in the final of the SEA Games, it was to be the Malaysians who pinned their opponents in their own half at the start of the game.

In the second minute, Abdul Manaf Mamat tested Laos keeper Souvanpheng Panthavong with a rifling shot from 20metre out while several minutes later, striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha’s attempt with placing shot was parried.

Laos put pressure in the midfield through the hard work of Lamnao Singto and Kampheng Sayyavuthi but they just could not get past the Malaysian backline marshalled by Zafuan Adha Abdul Razak.

In the 13th minute, a blanket of silence fell on the Laos fans when off a cross from Manaf Mamat on the right, Badrol Bakhtiar rose high for an overhead kick which went straight into goal.

As the small Malaysian supporters began chanting, Laos came close with a free kick from Kaysone Soukhavong but his attempt was well received by Malaysian custodian Sharbinee Allawee.

Malaysia were a little slower going into the second half and as they laid back to protect their lead, a seemingly innocuous dipping shot from distance in the 72nd minute beat Sharbinee for the first time in the game - much to the jubilation of the home fans.

But in their eagerness to look for their second goal and the lead, Laos left gaps at the back and this allowed Malaysia to capitalise on in the 78th minute when Badrol picked a pass from S. Kunalan to blast home.

And six minutes later, Safiq Rahim made it beyond Laos’ reach with the third goal from inside the penalty box to put Malaysia through.

Malaysia’s appearance in the final will allow them the chance for a re-match against Vietnam, whom they lost to in the group stage with a 3-1 score line.

The venue and time for the semi-final matches of men's football have been changed. This follows the team managers' meeting with the four teams - Vietnam and Malaysia (from Group A) as well as Laos and Singapore (from Group B) - which was held this morning at the Laos Football Federation headquarters this morning.

"The change is deemed to be necessary to accomodate TV requirements and that of the fans," said Phouvanh Vongsouthi, the president of the LFF.

The Vietnam-Singapore match will be played at the Chao Anouvong Stadium, Vientiane Capital. with kick-off at 18:00 hrs while the Laos-Malaysia clash will be held at the Main Stadium of the National Sports Complex, kick-off at 19:00hrs.

Both men's and women's football teams will play their first matches against Myanmar , which has proved in past SEA Games competitions to be a formidable opponent.

The matches will take place on December 3 and 5 at the National University of Laos stadium and the National Stadium.

Lao Men's Football Team Manager Viphet Sihachakr said yesterday he thought his team would play five matches in the tournament because the players were well prepared both in terms of training and fitness.

“ Myanmar is a strong SEA Games team. They were runners-up at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007 but that's in the past. Today I believe our athletes can do better than before due to our experience from the many test matches we played,” he said.

Lao footballers lost many tournaments in the run-up to the 25th SEA Games. But coaches and team assistants have worked hard to improve the players' skills and the team manager has confirmed the team's performance is already 30 percent better since their last match.

“One thing we have to remember is that playing at home we have an advantage because our supporters will be cheering us on, just as they did at the 4-Nations Football Tournament. I was delighted to see so many Lao fans in the stadium all shouting for us. This is just great for our players,” Mr Viphet said.

He asked football fans to continue to cheer on the players, saying their support would make them stronger and better able to fight for their country.

Lao hopes are also riding with the women's football team.

Lao Women's Football Team Manager Ms Valy Vessaphong said she had asked Myanmar to send a team for a friendly game in Laos before the SEA Games but they declined, saying they were too busy.

“This will be a big match because we've never met them since we lost to them 0-6 at the 24th SEA Games. But now things are different. Our players have improved and are ready for their first match,” Ms Valy said.

She said Myanmar might not be aware of how much the Lao team had improved and Laos also didn't know, but the match would be the true testing ground.

After today's match against Myanmar , the women's team will play Thailand on December 8, Malaysia on December 11 and Vietnam on December 13. December 16 will be the final day of the tournament.

Matches will take place at the National University of Laos and the Chao Anouvong Stadium.

The men's football team begins its campaign tomorrow against Myanmar and will face Indonesia on December 7 and Singapore on December 10 at the National Stadium and Chao Anouvong Stadium.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes