WORLD HEADLINES FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

His bicycle kick strike in the 16th minute was chosen as CNN’s World Sport ‘Play of the Day’ on Saturday.

The programme, which airs several times daily, picked the goal as the top highlight from the world of sport.

The tournament is being covered by newspapers throughout Asia and beyond with articles and pictures appearing on international news wires Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press and stories being run by the International Herald Tribune.

Scores of media from the Asean region have descended on Bangkok and Singapore for the competition which runs until February 4.

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The dreams of several players have been shattered early on in the Asean Football Championship with injury ending their participation in the Southeast Asian soccer showpiece.

Philippines captain Alexander Borromeo badly injured a knee early on in the tournament opener against Malaysia and the central defender will sit out the rest of the group matches.

Myanmar has lost two of their star men.

Captain Soe Myat Min, who was hugely instrumental in leading the team to the semi-finals in 2004, is unlikely to play in Group A after being injured ahead of the tournament.

He is with the squad in Bangkok and Myanmar is working on getting him ready in time for the semis, if they make it through.

Goalkeeper Aung Aung Oo will not appear again after breaking a finger in his left hand during the 1-1 draw with Thailand on Friday.

He played a blinder in the first half to frustrate the Thai attack but was forced to leave the field early in the second half after parrying a stinging shot from Suchao Nutnum.

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Myanmar under new coach U Sann Win, a former international, are working hard on their discipline after gaining a bit of a ‘bad boy’ reputation at the 2004 Asean Football Championship.

Fourteen yellow cards were dished out to Myanmar players and three were sent off during the last campaign when they reached the last four where they lost to Singapore after being reduced to eight men in the second leg.

“Lack of discipline is no longer a problem with our team. Discipline is now good, they try hard at this,” said the coach, who took over the reins just six months ago.

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The tight schedule for the Asean Football Championship, with teams playing every second day in the group stage, and the decision to base the squad at a training camp on the outskirts of Bangkok has prevented Thailand from performing one of their normal pre-match rituals.

The Thai players, the majority of whom are Buddhists, normally go to a temple for prayers before important matches.

Explained Thailand’s assistant coach Sompol Chomchuen: “We are not going to the temple ahead of games to pay respect as there is no time to do this.”