In less than a week, Myanmar will open their campaign at the SEA Games by taking on Laos in the opening game of Group B with the expectation that a win would set them well on the way of making up the disappointment of the last edition.
Myanmar, once a feared football powerhouse in Asia in the 60s and 70s when they won the Asian Games twice (1966 and 1970), were the losing finalists in 2007 in Thailand while two years ago in Laos, they did not even make the semi-finals.
And with the tail-end of the Myanmar National League (MN) 2011 given less of a priority as against the need of preparing a credible squad for the SEA Games in Jakarta this year, there are expectations that the team can be more than just competitive.
This especially when they have been placed in the ‘easier’ Group B of the SEA Games against 2009 runners-up Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and the Philippines.
Group A will see defending champions Malaysia battling against hosts Indonesia, former champions Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia.
And towards making sure that the team is well-prepared ahead of the demands of playing in Jakarta, the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) have signed Stefan Hansson, a Swedish UEFA pro-license coach, as the U23 team chief tactician at the end of last month.
“I believe that my appointment has a lot to do with the fact that I’m familiar with Myanmar football and also the players making up the list of trainees selected for the SEA Games,” said Hansson.
Hansson, who had previous stints in Vietnam, signed with Myanmar club Zayar Shwe Myay United FC on a long five-year contract from 2009 onwards.
From a lowly-rated force in his first year in charge, Zayar Shwe Myay United FC finished third in MNL 2011 and where they even made the semi-finals of the MFF Max Cement Cup the same year.
Zayar Shwe Myay FC were also among the few teams which had beaten eventual champions Yangon United FC this season.
With former chief coach Milan Zivadinovic’s disappointing failure in Myanmar’s 1-0 loss to Mongolia in the qualifying round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the appointment of Hansson by MFF bigwigs was rather obvious.
Zivadinovic was blamed for trying an unfamiliar defensive formation of 3-5-2 that the players found difficult to implement as against Hansson’s offensive-minded formation of 4-1-2-3 or 4-1-3-2.
“This system is better suited to the character of the Myanmar players although at the end of the day, discipline is the most important,” he added.
“Whether it is 4-4-2 or 6-7-8, there is no difference. The players will follow very well the formation set up by the coach. As long as they follow it, they will do well in the game.”
While he has no fears getting players to adjust to his formation, he still retains the burden of expectation for the team’s success.
And Myanmar are not just another team considering the millions which have been pumped into the MNL as parts of efforts initiated by MFF president U Zaw Zaw to regain the glory of yesteryears.
Myanmar were the SEAP Games – the predecessor to the SEA Games – winners in 1965 alongside Thailand before romping to victories in four straight editions in 1967, 1969, 1971 and 1973.
But all the hard work put into the MNL seems to be paying off where apart from seeing Yadanarbon winning the AFC President’s Cup in 2010, the Myanmar Under-19 squad also emerged victorious at the BIDC Cup earlier in the month when they beat Thailand in the final.
“I like the grouping although it does not at all mean that it will be any easier for us. Although the goal is winning the championship, I will focus on just one game at a time,” added Hansson.
When asked why Myanmar footballers’ seem to have problems with their finishing, Hansson offered: “it is a problem of all football players in the world. Nowadays defenders are smarter and scores are less worldwide.
“Ten years ago many goals were scored at the FIFA World Cups and also European championships. In Sweden ten years ago, the top league saw 220 goals being scored in a season. Now, there were only 85.
“It is not a problem but an issue which we all need to work on – not only the strikers.”
But with less than a week to their opening match, the recent performance of the Myanmar U23 squad at the VFF Cup in Hanoi must be of concern.
Where after stumbling to a 5-0 loss to hosts Vietnam in their opening match, they then conceded identical 2-1 losses to both Malaysia and Uzbekistan.
26th SEA GAMES SCHEDULE
GROUP A
9 November 2011
1. Singapore vs Malaysia (16.00 WIB)
2. Indonesia vs Cambodia (19.00 WIB)
11 November 2011
1. Malaysia vs Thailand (16.00 WIB)
2. Cambodia vs Singapore (19.00 WIB)
13 November 2011
1. Thailand vs Cambodia (16.00 WIB)
2. Singapore vs Indonesia (19.00 WIB)
15 November 2011
1. Malaysia vs Cambodia (16.00 WIB)
2. Indonesia vs Thailand (19.00 WIB)
17 November 2011
1. Thailand vs Singapore (16.00 WIB)
2. Indonesia vs Malaysia (19.00 WIB)
GROUP B
3 November 2011
1. Vietnam vs Philippines (16.00 WIB/SUGBK)
2. Laos vs Myanmar (19.00 WIB /SUGBK)
5 November 2011
1. Brunei Darussalam vs Timor Leste (16.00 WIB/ SUGBK)
2. Myanmar vs Vietnam (19.00 WIB/SUGBK)
7 November 2011
1. Timor Leste vs Philippines (16.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
2. Laos vs Brunei Darussalam (19.00 WIB/ Lebak Bulus)
9 November 2011
1. Myanmar vs Brunei Darussalam (16.00 WIB/ Lebak Bulus)
2. Vietnam vs Timor Leste (19.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
11 November 2011
1. Philippines vs Laos (16.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
2. Brunei Darussalam vs Vietnam (19.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
13 November 2011
1. Philippines vs Myanmar (16.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
2. Timor Leste vs Laos (19.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
15 November 2011
1. Myanmar vs Timor Leste (16.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
2. Philippines vs Brunei Darussalam (19.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
17 November 2011
1. Laos vs Vietnam (16.00 WIB/Lebak Bulus)
19 November 2011
1. Winner of Group A vs Runner up Grup B (16.00 WIB)
2. Winner of Group B vs Runner up Grup A (19.30 WIB)
21 November 2011
1. 3rd Place Match (16.00 WIB)
2. Final (19.30 WIB)
