NOT A TOTAL LOSS FOR LAOS

Niwat Klaysang, the team manager for Laos, said that the team has learn a lot from their experience in Phuket this week and something which he hopes will be put to good use when they form a team for the SEA Games next year when they play host.

“It has been quite an experience this week but I believe that the rest of the teams in the group were just too experienced for us,” said Niwat.

“But we have learnt a lot of things in Phuket and the difference between us and them has made us more determined to do better at the SEA Games.”

Laos started the tournament in Group B with a 3-0 loss to Malaysia, a 6-0 defeat at the hands of hosts Thailand in their second match before going down 4-0 to Vietnam in their final group game.

Niwat said that the fact that they did not score a single goal showed that they will have their work cut out especially when at the SEA Games they will have only several young players from the current squad whom they can rely on.

“It is very difficult to mould a strong team in Laos because the country’s population is so small and even in Vientiane, there are only some 200,000 people,” added Niwat.

“But I will try very hard to develop a strong team for the SEA Games from the experience of having played here.”

Laos qualified into the main draw of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 by virtue of being winners of the qualifiers which was held recently in Cambodia.