Leeds United suffer embarrassing loss in first match on controversial Myanmar tour

Leeds United suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat on Wednesday in the first friendly of a tour to Myanmar that has stoked controversy over whether the club should be playing in a country condemned for its treatment of its Rohingya community.

The second-tier English side are seeking to build up a fan base in the Southeast Asian nation and went into the match against the Myanmar National League “All Stars” team in Yangon as clear favourites.

The side failed to perform, however, despite a first-half equaliser by captain Samuel Saiz in front of the 19,000-strong crowd who had stumped up the US$3 for tickets.

All Stars’ Nigerian striker Christopher Chizoba clinched the match with a 63rd-minute penalty against an under-par Leeds team still reeling from a disappointing mid-table finish back home.

But the interest in this tour has not just been about what happens on the pitch.

British MPs from the club’s home city and Amnesty International criticised the choice of Myanmar as a tour destination for its questionable human rights record.