Former South Korea Coach Colin Bell Reflects on Loss as Myanmar Manager

Myanmar women's national football team coach Colin Bell faced his former team, South Korea, at the Asian Games in Japan on Monday, resulting in a 5 to 0 defeat for Myanmar. Bell, an English tactician who coached the South Korean team from 2019 to 2024, took over the Myanmar squad last month. He described the experience of facing his former players as a strange feeling, noting that the South Korean side was essentially his own team on one side of the pitch.

Bell praised the effort of his current players but admitted their quality was not yet sufficient to match that of South Korea. He credited his successor, Shin Sang-woo, for taking over a readymade team and benefiting from the foundation Bell built over five years. Bell stated that he maintains a strong affection for the South Korean players and continues to text them regularly.

Looking forward, Bell set a modest goal for Myanmar to win at least one match during the tournament. He noted that the team faces difficult upcoming opponents in North Korea and Bangladesh. Bell expressed confidence that the Myanmar team will evolve over the next six to 12 months and hopes to arrange a friendly match with South Korea next year prior to the World Cup.