Young Elephants FC

Young Elephants
ສະໂມສອນ ຊ້າງນ້ອຍ ເອຟຊີ

Full name	Young Elephants Football Club (ສະໂມສອນບານເຕະ ຊ້າງນ້ອຍ)
Nickname(s)	The Elephants
Short name	YE
Founded	2015;9 years ago (2015)
Ground	New Laos National Stadium
Capacity	25,000
President	Jason Lim
Head coach	Satyasagara
League	Lao League 1
2023	Lao League 1, 1st of 8 (Champions)
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Young Elephants Football Club, commonly known as Young Elephants, is a professional football club based in Vientiane, Laos. The club currently competes in the Lao League 1, the top-tier football league in Laos. The club is own by Singaporean businessman Jason Lim since 2018. The club has won 2 league titles (back to back undefeated) and 1 Lao FF Cup.

Young Elephants players comprise majority of the Laos national team.

History

Young Elephants were founded in 2015 by the Lao Football Federation (LFF) with the aim of giving exposure to footballers aged 16 to 19 years old and helping them launch their professional careers. But in 2017, the LFF gave up ownership of the club due to rules around club licensing and privatisation and sought out Jason Lim, who was well known to the federation due to his voluntary work as team manager for the Laos under-23 between 2009 and 2017. A year later, Jason Lim took the reins and roped in other Singaporeans based in Laos which are Kevin Pereira and Philip Tay as the club board members. Yet, this has required significant outlay. Since 2018, Jason Lim has been the president and chairman of the Young Elephants, injecting his passion and resources into the team. Jason Lim said that he has spent close to $1 million since taking over the club and also visits Peninsula Plaza back in Singapore each year to buy the latest football boots for the whole squad so that his players "truly feel like professional players with the bulk of the expenditure has gone towards raising players salaries. Under Jason Lim’s visionary leadership, the Young Elephants experienced a meteoric rise in the Laotian football landscape. What makes the Young Elephants’ achievements even more astounding is the fact that the players comprise approximately 80% of the Laos national team. Their dominance on the domestic front is a testament to their talent and influence within the country. Young Elephants have cultivated a culture of unity, determination, and hard work under the guidance of their Singaporean head coach, Satyasagara, who took charge of the club in March 2022. His coaching philosophy goes beyond the tactical aspects of the game with him winning the league undefeated back to back in both season. Satyasagara has created an environment where each player feels valued and understood. By establishing a deep bond with his team, the coach has fostered a sense of trust and camaraderie that fuels their on-field performances.

Back-to-back Invincibles (2022–2023)

In the 2022 season, the Young Elephants embarked on a remarkable Lao League 1 campaign that would go down in the history of Laos football. With an unbeaten run that spanned the entire league, they asserted their authority on the pitch. Out of the 18 matches they played, the Elephants emerged victorious in 13 and secured five draws, amassing 44 points.Their tally was a resounding 11 points ahead of their nearest challengers, Master 7, leaving no doubt that they were the deserving 2022 Lao League 1 champions. After securing their maiden Lao League 1 title, the Young Elephants faced the daunting challenge of defending their crown in the 2023 season. Many wondered if they could maintain the same level of dominance and go undefeated once again. The answer came with resounding clarity. Once again, the Elephants proved their indomitable spirit by remaining unbeaten and clinching their second consecutive Lao League 1 championship. Out of the 14 games played in the 2023 season, the Elephants emerged winners in 12 and secured two draws, demonstrating their unyielding hunger for success.

AFC Cup debut

Young Elephants make their 2022 AFC Cup debut being drawn in Group I with Viettel from Vietnam, Hougang United from Singapore and Phnom Penh Crown from Cambodia, however, the club suffered a defeat to all of them and crash out from the group stage.

Young Elephants also played in the 2023–24 AFC Cup qualifying play-off facing against Phnom Penh Crown in the 2nd preliminary round but lost 3–0 thus didnt qualified to the 2023–24 AFC Cup.

Young Elephants also qualified to the 2024–25 AFC Challenge League directly after winning the 2023 Lao League 1. Young Elephants was also invited to the 2024–25 ASEAN Club Championship but was drawn in the qualifying round against Cambodian club Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng. Young Elephants lost 8–3 on aggregate and didn't qualified which they turned their main focus on the 2024–25 AFC Challenge League. The club was then drawn in Group D alongside Taiwanese club Tainan City and Myanmar club Shan United. Young Elephants bowed out from the tournament after losing 2–0 to Shan United and 3–2 to Tainan City with Indonesian Brylian Aldama becoming the only player to score in the tournament for the club

Team Image

Young Elephants home games are played at the New Laos National Stadium.

Stadium

Young Elephants play their home matches at the New Laos National Stadium. The stadium is located about 17 km from the centre of Vientiane City and comprises a 25,000-seat capacity stadium.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Period	Kit Manufacturer	Sponsors
2019–present	FBT	2024–present

Affiliated clubs

• Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng

Players

As of 22 September 2024 ^[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   LAO Solasak Thilavong 2 DF   LAO Thatsaphone Khampanit 4 DF   BRA Maycom Carvalho 5 DF   LAO Kaharn Phetsivilay 6 DF   LAO Kittisak Phomvongsa 7 FW   LAO Vilay Kulangsy 8 MF   LAO Anousone Xaypanya 9 FW   LAO Kydavone Souvanny 10 FW   UZB Shokhrukh Makhmudkhozhiev 11 MF   LAO Souphan Khambaion 14 FW   LAO Somxay Keohanam 15 DF   LAO Thipphachanh Inthavong 18 MF   IDN Brylian Aldama

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW   LAO Kadam Koneyer 20 DF   LAO Sengdaovy Hanthavong 21 GK   LAO Anoulak Vilaphone 22 MF   LAO Phithack Kongmathilath 26 DF   LAO Phonsak Sisavath 30 MF   JPN Yuta Suzuki 32 MF   LAO Chanthaphone Waenvongsoth 47 FW   LAO Thavisok Latsavong 77 MF   UZB Saveliy Abramov 89 GK   LAO Outthilath Nammakhoth 99 FW   JPN Takumu Nishihara

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF   LAO Bounphachan Bounkong (to Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng)

Technical staff

Position	Name
President	Jason Lim
CEO	Bon Soundala
Vice-president 1	Kevin Pereira
Vice-president 2	Douangmany Souvannavong
Team manager	Soulisay Chanthalanouvath
General secretary	Jeremy Choong
EXCO member	Philip Tay
Head coach	Satyasagara
Assistant coach	Sengvilay Chanthasily
	Phoutpasong Sengdalavong
Goalkeeping coach	Vilasack Vanthanoulath
Physiotherapist	Souvanny Sony
Director of footballs	Andrew Woodward

List of manager history

Name	Period
Bounma Patthammavong	January 2018
Kanlaya Sysomvang	February 2018
Kovanh Namthavixay	January 2019
Perianan Sugunan	January 2020
Bounlap Khenkitisack	March 2021
Satyasagara	March 2022–2023
Phoutpasong Sengdalavong	May 2024-

Performance in AFC club competitions

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2022	AFC Cup	Group I	Viettel	1–5		4th
			Hougang United	1–3
			Phnom Penh Crown	2–4
2023–24	AFC Cup	Preliminary round 2	Phnom Penh Crown		0–3	0–3
2024–25	AFC Challenge League	Group Stage	Shan United
			Tainan City

Performance in AFF club competitions

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2024–25	ASEAN Club Championship	Qualifying play-off	Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng	2–3	1–5	3–8

Honours

• Lao League 1
  • Champions (2): 2022, 2023
• Lao FF Cup
  • Winners (2): 2020, 2022

References

1. "Player list in Laos League 1 season 2024–25". 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.

External links

• Young Elephants Profile on the Lao League official site
• Young Elephants on Eleven Sports
• Young Elephants' Vannasone Doaungmaity interview on Eleven Sports in 2019