Putting the Boot In

Hopes that the recent reconstruction of Burma’s football league would boost the form of the national team were dashed at the Southeast Asian Games in Laos in December.

Photo: www.laoseagames2009.com

Burma was edged out of the final stages of the football tournament to the accompaniment of cries of “foul” by many Burmese officials and fans. They charged that Singapore and Laos had played for a draw, allowing both teams to qualify and Burma to be eliminated.

It was a long way from the glory days of Burmese football, when the national side was one of Asia’s strongest. Burma was runner-up in the 1968 Asian Cup contest, won gold medals at the Asian Games in 1966 and 1970 and was runner-up in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 2004 championships.

Hosts laos (red) held Burma to a 1-1 draw at Vientiane’s Main Stadium on Dec. 5. (Photo: www.laoseagames2009.com)

Ambitions to represent Asia at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa were dashed when the national side conceded 11 goals in two qualifying matches against China. 

A lack of funding, infrastructure, training facilities and low morale among the players are blamed for the current malaise. Fans are drifting away from the stadiums and following the fortunes of European clubs on TV—ask any football enthusiast in Burma what side he supports and the odds are it’s Manchester United and certainly not disunited Myanmar.