Sann Win: “To win the tournament, team unity and self-confidence will be key points.” Pic: Aung Tun Win

MYANMAR will send an under-20 team to the Thanh Nien International U-21 Football Championships in Vietnam from October 24-28, coach Sann Win said on September 19.

Four teams from Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore are to play in the round robin tournament, for which Sann Win said the side was much better prepared than last month’s ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U20 Championship, also in Vietnam, where Myanmar finished fourth.

“The team has improved a lot since the ASEAN U20 tournament and I’m confident about their performance because we’ve had enough time to prepare now,” Sann Win said.

The under-20 squad had been together only a month before they headed to the Southeast Asian championship, losing 1-3 to Thailand in the third-place playoff. Vietnam beat Malaysia in the final to clinch the title.

“For this coming tournament, we’ve had about four months’ training, which is very helpful when constructing a team and I’ve seen a lot of improvement in the players,” said the former national coach, who took over the under-20s earlier this year following the arrival of Brazilian manager Marcos Falopa.

Experience gained during the AFF event would also be valuable next month when Myanmar meets three of the teams from that tournament in Nha Trang, Sann Win said.

“Something I noticed from the U20 championship was that players from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia have stronger builds than my players, and that can be significant when a game is very competitive.

“To make up for this weakness, I’ve been holding training sessions for at least five and a half hours a day to increase fitness and skill.

“To win the tournament, team unity and self-confidence will be key points,” he said.

“I’m not worried about any ASEAN team because we’ve been competing against them for years and our players as just as able as they are. But one important thing we need is more international exposure,” he added, claiming Vietnam had shown marked improved in recent years thanks to their frequent hosting of international competitions.

As a preparation for the Thanh Nien tournament, sponsored by a Vietnamese newspaper, the Myanmar team played a series of eight matches against Myanmar League sides, winning six, drawing one and losing one.