Laos have made it to the group stage of the ASEAN Championship for 13 of the 14 editions so far and go into the 2024 tournament hoping to script some history for the nation.
Korean tactician Ha Hyeok-jun took over the reins of the team in August and they held heavyweights Thailand to a draw in their last international friendly before the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 – a result that will give them plenty of confidence going into the regional showpiece.
Tournament Record
Group stage (13): 2022, 2020, 2018, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
Tournament Highlights
Laos' biggest points haul in the ASEAN Championship came in the inaugural 1996 edition when they held Vietnam to a draw before defeating Cambodia for their maiden win. In the 2002 group stage, they produced a famous draw against eventual champions Thailand and came close to taking points away from former champions Singapore.
They were also involved in 2-2 results against Thailand and Indonesia in 2010 and 2012 respectively, but then went 10 years without collecting a single point. That run finally ended in 2022 when they held Myanmar to another 2-2 draw. Going into the 2024 edition, they will be dreaming of causing an upset or two as they look to defy expectations.
Head Coach: Ha Hyeok-jun
Ha Hyeok-jun is the man tasked with guiding Laos at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024. The Korean, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Myanmar national team in 2012 and in 2016, took charge of Chinese side Beijing Bekong in his first foray as a head coach in club football.
He was also part of the coaching staff at Suwon Samsung Bluewings in his homeland between 2017 and 2018 before becoming the head coach of Hong Kong Premier League side Resources Capital in 2023. The Laos job is the 54-year-old's first head coach role in international football.
One To Watch: Bounphachan Bounkong
Still only 23 years old, Bounphachan Bounkong makes his third ASEAN Championship appearance as the captain of Laos and one of their biggest attacking threats, alongside 24-year-old Kydavone Souvanny. It was the winger who scored as Laos held reigning ASEAN champions Thailand 1-1 in a friendly at Thammasat Stadium on 17 November.
A prolific scorer for Laotian side Young Elephants since 2018, Bounkong moved to Cambodian champions PKR Svay Rieng FC last year and made his ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ debut against Terengganu FC in August. He will now hope to follow in the footsteps of stars like Soukaphone Vongchiengkham and Visay Phaphouvanin in international football.
The Legend: Visay Phaphouvanin
Visay Phaphouvanin is Laos’ all-time leading scorer in international football with 18 goals during a career between 2002 and 2013. As a 17-year-old, he bagged his maiden goal for Laos against Thailand in the 2002 ASEAN Championship and then went on to score against Singapore and Malaysia too – finding the back of the net in three consecutive games.
Phaphouvanin also scored in the 2004 edition against Singapore and also fired in goals in the qualifying events for the 2007, 2008 and 2012 ASEAN Championships. The striker played his club football in Thailand with Udon Thani as well as clubs like Vientiane FC and Lao Police Club closer to home.
Did You Know?
One of Laos’ best performances on the international stage came in the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia in 2016. They defeated Sri Lanka and Mongolia in the group stage to progress to the knockout stage where they were beaten on penalties by Nepal. However, they secured third place in the tournament with a 3-2 win against Brunei Darussalam in a third-place playoff.
Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Fixtures
Laos vs Vietnam (9 December, 2024)
Indonesia vs Laos (12 December, 2024)
Laos vs Philippines (15 December, 2024)
Myanmar vs Laos (18 December, 2024)
Photo: Lao Football Federation
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