Playing amid the protests
Politics and football clash as the Myanmar national team returns to action
In November 2019, the Myanmar national team served up a real treat for their supporters in qualification for the 2022 World Cup. First, they managed a thrilling 4-3 win over a muchimproved Tajikistan team in Mandalay, the country’s second city, then a few days later they defeated Mongolia 1-0 in front of almost 20,000 fans. They would not play again for another 18 months, and when they did return to action it was not so happy: a 10-0 thrashing by Japan at the end of May was their biggest-ever defeat. Qualification for the Qatar World Cup is now not going to happen, but as these qualifiers also act as a road to China and the 2023 Asian Cup, an appearance on the continental stage is a realistic goal. It was 1968 when Myanmar last participated in the tournament, but there is a chance that that half-century drought will end. Or, at least, there was.
Now, the country is in chaos, with everything up in the air. In February the military, which first took power back in 1962, staged a coup to take back full control of the country after years of quasi-democracy. It was met by significant protests from the population all over the Southeast Asian country and hundreds, perhaps more, have
been killed by the military.
Football players have also been involved with the protests. “We will only play football on the street until we get democracy,” said national team goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Htet. “We won’t play for the national team under the military dictatorship. We are all going forward and won’t do these things that go backward. That’s why we are not going to play.”
A group of players from the league protested in Yangon, as did around 700 fans of English Premier League teams. Wearing shirts from the so-called “Big Six”, they marched on the British Embassy.
“We’ve given all our souls and energy to support the favourite clubs in our lives,” said Zarni Maung, a 30-year-old Liverpool supporter. “I wish they would hear us and know what’s happening in my country. Our fans were very excited waiting for the upcoming fixtures. But now we can’t even focus on the matches, and work on the protests. Being under the military junta is such a pain.”
There were protests overseas too. Hein Htet Aung plays in Malaysia’s second tier and the Myanmar player was hit with a one-game ban after performing a three-finger gesture (a reference to the dystopian Hunger
Games film and book series) used by protestors back home, while in action for Selangor II in March. “Football must be above race, religion and politics,” Baljit Singh Sidhu, chairman of the Football Association of Malaysia’s association’s disciplinary committee said. “Football must be used to unite people and not to divide them – and should not take sides with anybody.”
Yet politics are mixed with football all over Asia. There have been no calls to throw the team out of qualification for the World Cup or anything else, although Myanmar National League clubs Shan United and Hantharwady United will withdraw from the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup (Asia’s second-tier club competition) respectively.
National team coach Antonie Hey has tried to talk about the political situation as little as possible and has said that he is looking forward to the challenge: “We are working on our dream,” he said. “Myanmar has been waiting for the AFC [Asian] Cup qualification for more than 50 years. Football has the power to build bridges and to reconcile. With this in mind, we hope for the support and blessings of all the people of Myanmar.”
Many of the country’s best players, around ten, kept to their word and did not go to Japan. The Myanmar Football Federation said on its website that they ran the risk of future suspension but with a number of them returning back
“We won’t play for the national team under the military dictatorship”
Myanmar goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Htet
to their home provinces and reportedly undergoing military training, they are likely to have other things on their minds.
Even the players who made themselves available for the trip to Japan had not seen any kind of competitive action for over six months. It was less than ideal.
At least a few play overseas these days, which is a relatively recent phenomenon. Myanmar players were regarded in Southeast Asia as risky imports as there was an idea that you needed to sign at least two, preferably three (as Singapore’s Balestier Khalsa did in 2017) in order to help them settle. Now, they can be seen in Malaysia and also Thailand, the best league in Southeast Asia.
This helps in the long-term but in the short, the 2022 World Cup is off the table. It remains to be seen whether the team can make it to the Asian Cup, but there are bigger issues than that.