A Lao player (left) heads the ball during a match against Timor-Leste at the Asean Football Federation U16 Championship in Indonesia on Monday. --Photo Lao Football Federation

Laos to face Thailand at AFF U16 Champs in Indonesia

The Lao U16 team are gearing up for a tough match against their Thai rivals on Thursday at the Asean Football Federation U16 Championship 2022, hosted by Indonesia.
The championship is being played out from July 31 to August 12 and follows the thrilling Asean U19 Championship which took place last month.
This will be the second match between Laos and Thailand and will take place at the Maguwoharjo Slemen Stadium in Yogyakarta at 3pm. The match will not be televised.
This match is critical for Laos so the boys will be determined to play at their best and cut the number of Thai goals to a minimum.
If Laos wins this match, the team stands a good chance of getting through the first round, but if they lose that will be the end of their progress at the tournament.
In Group B matches played on Monday, Laos clocked up a 1-1 draw against Timor-Leste while Thailand trounced Brunei 5-0.
Laos’ third match on Sunday will give the boys a chance to defeat Brunei, so it’s fingers crossed for that encounter as well. 
The teams from 12 countries are divided into three groups. Group A comprises Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, Group B consists of Thailand, Laos, Timor-Leste and Brunei, and Group C comprises Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia and Cambodia.
At the end of the first round, the competition organising committee will select the first placed teams in each group for the semi-finals along with the highest-scoring second placed team.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 4, 2022)