Coach Valakone Phomphakdy has insisted Laos can reach the final of the AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 ahead of the Southeast Asians’ opening Group B clash against Sri Lanka at Negeri Stadium on Thursday.
The Laotians go into the inaugural competition on the back of successive wins against Timor Leste and Brunei Darussalam in the qualifying campaign for the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Championship, a tournament they fell just short of reaching after hosts Cambodia pipped them to top spot in the group.
But Phomphakdy believes the experience gained from the recent competitive matches will have prepared his players well for their encounters with Sri Lanka and their other Group B opponents, Macau and Mongolia.
“After the AFF matches we have chosen to mix our experienced players with the young ones because it’s important to use the young players to prepare for the future,” said Phomphakdy
“It’s great that we have the chance to play teams from different regions; for example, we have never played against Macau. We have played (South Asians) India and the Maldives, so I think Sri Lanka is not too different.”
“I feel we can be confident after the AFF competition and we want to maintain our level of performance and play well here.”
“The mentality is good and I think our experienced players can help the young ones, so in this tournament I expect to play at least five matches.”
Opponents Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have not played a competitive fixture since the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Championship at the end of 2015 when they reached the semi-finals before elimination at the hands of Afghanistan.
But the South Asians played a number of warm-up matches with other Sri Lanka-based sides to prepare for the continental tournament.
And they also tested themselves internationally against Cambodia three weeks ago when they suffered a 4-0 reversal in Phnom Penh.
“We have had eight weeks to prepare for this competition so I think we’re in good shape,” said coach Dudley Steinwall. “We have played a lot of matches with local teams back home and we are feeling confident.”
“We have watched the videos from Laos’ recent matches and they are one of the favourites for the tournament. They are well organised but my players will give their best on the field tomorrow.
“The players need this international exposure and I think, with a similar climate in Sri Lanka, they will adapt well here.”
“We came here to win the title and I hope we can achieve this, but we know anything can happen in football.”
