Russian football coach to train Lao football team for SEA GAMES

Despite disappointing results at last year's SEA Games in Thailand , Russian coach Valeri Vdovin has agreed to manage the under-23 national football team once more, according to the Lao Football Federation yesterday.

This is the third time that Mr Vdovin has managed the U-23 team's appearances in the Southeast Asian Games.

He first led the U-23 squad to the SEA Games in 2005 in the Philippines , and then to the games last year in Thailand . Unfortunately, the team was knocked out in the first round on both occasions.

The President of the Lao Football Federation, Mr Kasem Inthara, told the Vientiane Times yesterday “The federation and the National Sports Committee have decided to recall Russian coach Vdovin to Laos , even though he has so far failed to get the team past the first round at the SEA Games.”

“Mr Vdovin has confirmed he will arrive in Vientiane by the beginning of April and will then start to train the players. His contract with the Lao Football Federation will run until the end of the 2009 SEA Games.”

“He will not only lead the U-23 team in the SEA Games, but will also coach the senior national team for the Challenge Cup which is organised by the Asian Football Confederation in May in Kyrgyzstan . Another big event is the qualifying round of this year's Asean Cup in October in Cambodia ,” Mr Kasem said.

In the 2005 SEA Games, Laos beat Myanmar 3-2 and lost 2-8 to Vietnam , 0-1 to Singapore and 0-4 to Indonesia .

In the 2007 SEA Games, the U-23 squad's victory hopes were again squashed in the first round after a goalless draw against Singapore followed by losses of 0-4 to Malaysia and 1-2 to Vietnam