Myanmar coach not happy with referee after losing to Vietnam

“If I have to choose the strongest team in this tournament, I’ll pick Vietnam. I’m not impressed with a particular player but I’m quite impressed with this team and their teamwork. I think Vietnam can win every game and enter the final,” Popov said at a press conference after the game.

Myanmar sure have created a difficult time for Vietnam throughout the game with their defensive and tough approach, even after Do Hung Dung scored for Vietnam in the 75th minute.

Vietnam are having seven points and in the last game with Timor Leste, they only need one point to advance, while Myanmar will enter a crucial match with Indonesia for a slot in the semifinals.

“Indonesia are a strong team and we have to give our best. Myanmar need to win this game to enter the semifinals. This is a wonderful experience for my players. We don’t fear any team, only the referee. I’m not happy with the referee work, but I can’t say it directly because I’ll get fined for that,” he added.

Despite losing the match, Popov is still satisfied with the team’s performance.

“We only made two mistakes in the game. One of them cost us the game. We have modified our strategy to deal with Vietnam’s offensive approach. We didn’t give them many chances. Vietnam players had better stamina, but we also tried our best,” he said.