Famed for audacious feats on the field on behalf of his native Singapore as a striker in the late 1980’s and into the 1990s, the former player now coach V. Sundramoorthy is set to guide a Laos national men’s team on the rise ahead of the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup.
Known for a penchant for scoring from bicycle kicks and backheels that left opponents guessing in his playing days, Laos fans would be forgiven for hoping a bit of the coach’s trademark flair rubs off on their national team.
The V. Sundramoorthy appointment comes as Laos prepares to square up against Mongolia in the Lao capital Vientiane on October 16 in a warm-up friendly before the AFC Suzuki Cup.
The 53-year-old coach has declared that Laos must take full advantage of being able to play two of their four home matches on home soil for the first time.
“I can’t speak for the players but for me it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” AFC Suzuki Cup official website reported V. Sundramoorthy as saying.
“To be honest I know we are in a tough group with Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia however I believe that in football anything is possible.
“What I can assure you is that each and every player will give their best and that the team will play collectively as a strong unit and by hosting the AFF Suzuki Cup it gives us a great opportunity for Laotians to showcase their talent to the public.
“We have many young and talented players here in Laos and the aim will be to use their individual strength to forge a collective strength as a team.
“For me, I want to send a clear message to our fans and that’s we need you to be the 12th player on the pitch by lending your strong support.”
“We are going to take things one game at a time and put up a good performance in every match we play and as I said it will also be great to have the support of the local crowd behind the players. If we do that I can promise you that we will be a tough opponent for any team.”
Singaporean compatriot and Laos Football Federation’s departing technical director, Mike Wong, talked up Coach V. Sundramoorthy’s the three-year appointment, reported Fox Sports Asia.
“Laos have now got a good coach with valuable international exposure on a three-year contract. This brings stability to the Laos national team and is a huge step forward,” Wong reportedly told FOX Sports Asia.
“Sundram knows the regional opponents well and he will groom the next generation of Laos youngsters to be ready for national team duty.”
