Michael Vang, an American football (soccer) player of Hmong descent, will play for his homeland in the Three Nations Cup in Nepal this month.
The 22-year-old athlete arrived in Laos from the United States on Tuesday with a warm welcome from coaches and fellow players from Laos.
The young player will practice and prepare under the Laos Football Federation for the warm-up program in Laos to compete in the matches with Nepal and Bhutan between 22-31 March.
Michael Vang is a professional player from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and plays as a midfielder for the Portland Timbers II (MLS Next Pro) club in the United States.
In an interview with Voyage Minnesota, Vang said that he is the first Hmong professional player to play in the country.
Lao footballers will play their first match at the Three Nations Cup 2023 match against Nepal on 22 March, followed by Bhutan on 25 March.
The Lao Football Federation has been on the lookout for scouting for more Laotians born abroad for the overall development of the national football team. One of them is Billy Ketkeophomphone, a Laotian-French footballer, who recently played in Laos AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022.
