Grassroots goal for faded giant

Wide-ranging investment aims to restore Myanmar as soccer power

Shouts reverberate under the concrete overpass as barefoot players jostle for the ball, a sad echo of Myanmar's long-lost footballing glory days which authorities are now hoping to revive.

Myanmar used to be a soccer powerhouse in the region, winning the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games and being crowned Southeast Asian champions five times in a row. But they are now wallowing at 159th in the FIFA rankings, much to the dismay of their long-suffering fans.