Laos team transformed and aspires to change history against Vietnam

Coach Ha hopes that Lao football will reach new heights. Photo: LFF.

Although still considered a weaker opponent, it cannot be denied that the Laos team is changing with each match, with the desire to reach the regional level, reaching the level of the Vietnam team in the near future.

At the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Laos held out against the Vietnamese team for nearly an hour before collapsing and losing 1-4. A point against Vietnam at that time was probably only about 30 minutes away from coach Ha Heok-jun and his team, and the Lao people have the right to dream of that miracle when their team is about to have a rematch in the Asian Cup qualifying round.

Coach Ha's mission

When he arrived in Laos, head coach Ha Hyeok-jun did not hide his ambition to raise the level of the national team. Mr. Ha really breathed new life into the team, helping the Laos team achieve unprecedented results in history.

Ahead of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Laos caused a stir with a 1-1 friendly draw against Thailand - the reigning Southeast Asian champions, with an all-star squad including Elias Dolah, Nicholas Mickelson, Peeradol Chamrasamee, Suphanat Mueanta William Weidersjo and Ekanit Panya, not the reserve squad.

Entering the official tournament, Laos scored their first consolation goal against Vietnam. After that, the team held Indonesia and the Philippines to a draw with a goal before only losing narrowly to Myanmar in the final match.

In the 4 group stage matches, Laos scored against their opponents in all 4 matches. This is something that has never happened before in the history of Laos's participation in the Southeast Asian championship.

Lao football has never had a significant boost, with a poor national championship, amateur players, most of whom play football, go to school and work part-time jobs to make a living. The Korean press revealed the story of Coach Ha inspiring Lao players with a promise to change their lives if they follow him.

"I want to bring Lao players to Korea, Thailand or Vietnam. Players going abroad will help Laos develop more," Coach Ha frankly shared his ambitious strategy.

In less than half a year, the Lao national team under Ha's leadership has had a player go abroad. Captain Damoth Thongkhamsavath will officially join Thanh Hoa Club to compete in the V.League in March.

Damoth, a son of Vietnamese blood, will be the bridge for Lao players to come to our country to compete, carrying the desire to reach the level of Vietnamese football.

Coach Ha aims for small steps, not hasty. Photo: LFF .

Before Ha Hyeok-jun, Park Hang-seo and Shin Tae-yong helped change the status of Vietnamese and Indonesian football in the continental arena. Ha could be the next Korean to change the face of a team in Southeast Asia, if things go according to the progressive order of this team.

What opportunities for Laos?

In the rematch against Vietnam, Laos kept almost the same young squad as in the ASEAN Cup, with the addition of 3 foreign-born players. They are defender Victor Ngovinassack (Is-Selongey Football, French sixth division), midfielder Roman Angot (SV Linx, German sixth division) and striker Theo Klein (Omaha University Mavericks, USA).

The simultaneous call-up of three foreign players to the national team shows that coach Ha and the Lao Football Federation (LFF) are very serious about the final qualifying round of the Asian Cup. All three players were born in 2001, meaning they are only 24 years old, still young and have a lot of potential to contribute in the future.

Believing in youth, Ha and LFF are willing to dismiss experienced 9x players, even striker Billy Ketkeophomphone, a French-born player who was once Laos' number one hope at the 2020 AFF Cup.

Roman, Viktor and Theo, although only playing in lower leagues abroad, are still better than domestic Lao players, as evidenced by their performances at the 32nd SEA Games. These three players helped Laos U22 cause many difficulties for Vietnam U22 in the group stage of the SEA Games 2 years ago in Cambodia.

For the first time in history, Laos called up 3 naturalized players to the national team at the same time. Photo: LFF .

"The Laos team has become stronger thanks to the presence of foreign players. We cannot be complacent and need to prepare carefully for tomorrow's match," coach Kim Sang-sik admitted, admitting the threat of the new unknowns in the country's team.

However, the Lao team still faces a big challenge from Vietnam. That is probably why the Lao coach always mentions Vietnam as a criterion for comparison. Just need to win 1 point against Vietnam, the football of the million elephants can be proud that they have turned a new page.

Laos has never beaten Vietnam in history. The team only had 1 draw in 1996. Do coach Ha and his students have a chance to defeat the "Golden Star Warriors"? Yes, but not much, compared to their current strength. However, in football, anything can happen. Laos will enter the match with the desire to change history. The Vietnam team needs to play focused, seriously and to their full potential.

"Even though we don't know whether we will win or lose, we will definitely try our best and not let Vietnam have an easy game. We want to strive to bring home at least 1 point," said coach Ha.

Coach Ha's mission

What opportunities for Laos?

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