Delta United FC forward Rodrigo is one of about 10 foreign players in the new Myanmar National League.

A DEBATE about the merits of foreign players in Myanmar’s domestic football would have been inconceivable six months ago.

Now, such conversations can be heard in teashops, on buses and trains and in markets. The most noticeable aspect is people you would expect to have little interest in football seem to have caught the round ball bug, from young children to the elderly.

The talk is of change, new beginnings for domestic football and future possibilities.

Fans have also been voting with their feet, braving the recent terrible weather to watch their favourite teams play at Aung San Stadium and Thuwanna Stadium in the opening matches of the Myanmar National League Cup Grand Royal 2009.

There were some fears that the bumper crowd at the competition’s first match, between Yangon United and Zayar Shwe Myay on May 16, was because of the prematch entertainment, which featured famous singers, film stars and dancers, rather than the spectacle on the pitch.

But these have been allayed in subsequent matches, such as the Delta United and Magway clash at Aung San and Yangon United and Magway at Thuwanna Stadium. A significant number of fans have even travelled from Bago and Ayeyarwady divisions to see their respective sides play.

The local fans’ response to the launch of the MNL has even prompted some to ask whether the league can win back some of the supporters that have over the years drifted to European leagues, such as Italy’s Serie A and the English Premier League.

U Soe Myint Lwin, the technical director of Myanmar Football Federation (MFF), says the MNL has shown that if the product is good enough, fans will make an effort to attend matches.

“Spectators are happy to watch any kind of football, whether it’s foreign or not,” U Soe Myint Lwin said. “We can watch Premier League games at home, thanks to satellite [television]. But the feeling of watching football matches on TV at home is so different to going and watching at the stadium. So I think every fan that enjoys the live atmosphere will come to the MNL Cup.”

Ko Thet Aung, a 33-year-old Manchester United fan from Hledan township, said that, while the standard of football was lower than in foreign leagues, Myanmar people wanted to support their local players.

“It is sure that the Myanmar players’ performance is not as good as those players in the foreign leagues. But we should make sure that we support them so that Myanmar football can make progress,” he said.

Ko Than Htut, 45, from Thuwanna township, said he thought the signing of foreign players had helped to attract fans to matches who might have otherwise given the new league a miss. He added that the foreign players had helped give the matches a new dimension for spectators.

“For example, Gnonsian [Patrice] from Yadanarbon played so well in the first match against Southern Myanmar, he even got the title man of the match and the spectators encouraged him a lot. But then against Zayar Shwe Myay they were angry at him because of his bad behaviour. Having the foreign players in the MNL makes things more exciting for fans,” said Ko Than Htut.

Twenty-eight-year-old Ko Nay Myo Aung from Thingangyun Township said when Yangon United’s African player Missipo scored from the edge of the penalty area against Zayar Shwe Myay he felt like he was watching a match in the Premier League.

Not all the clubs have signed foreign players, for a mixture of reasons.
U Kyi Lwin, the head coach of Magway FC, said he was not fazed by the lack of foreign faces in his squad.

“We’ve already prepared our squad well to deal with all kinds of players, so whether the opposition has foreign players or not, it should not affect our performance. We have done enough training to compete well with them,” said U Kyi Lwin.

Southern Myanmar owner U Htay Myint said he had faith in his local players and their desire to win.

“To compete is to try to win. We have made sure the players are prepared psychologically, mentally, and are prepared to put in the effort required to win,” said U Htay Myint, whose side is one of the least experienced in the competition.

The MFF has said it will upgrade the two stadiums to make them more comfortable for fans, replacing broken seats and repairing toilets. But a factor beyond the federation’s control could help ensure the cup competition is a success, Ko Nay Myo Aung says.

“Now, [English] Premier League matches are finished for the 2008-2009 season, so football fans have little choice but to watch the MNL Cup,” he said. “But, as for whether the local competition can become as popular as the foreign leagues, I think we will need to wait much longer to find out the answer. If it’s going to happen, we will have to support the players and clubs in the long term, not just for one tournament.”