No surprises in nat'l team

Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh


BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN



Tuesday, October 2, 2012


NATIONAL coach Kwon Oh-son yesterday named a predictable final 20-man squad for the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifying tournament to be staged in Myanmar from Friday. The team will leave today.


Among the 12 DPMM FC players who were shortlisted only defender Md Amalul Ariffin Shah Said did not make the cut.


DPMM FC players make up the largest contingent after having 11 out of 20 players in the squad.

Despite the DPMM FC players only training with the team since mid-September, Kwon is putting his faith in them.

Kwon is focused on beating Myanmar in their first game on Friday and is less concerned about the others in the group pitting Laos, Cambodia and Timor Leste.

The top two teams will progress to the main tournament from November 24 to December 22 which will be co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand.

"Our full attention is on our first game against Myanmar. We want to win and then see what happens after that," he said yesterday during the handing over of the sponsorships for the national team by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

We only have short-term training with the DPMM FC players and the squad is continuously building. I have not coached the DPMM FC players before but I trust their individual skills and abilities," he added.


DPMM FC and Myanmar squad are at the same level. That is why it is important to have the DPMM FC players in the squad as they are the only professional players in the country, added the South Korean


The squad however, will be without their key central defender Reduan Hj Petara who suffered rib cage fracture during the friendly match against Indonesia on Wednesday.


Reduan was stretchered out and substituted immediately after colliding with goalkeeper Md Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof midway through the second half of Brunei's 5-0 defeat at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in Berakas on Wednesday.


"Reduan is out with an injury. He is always the first choice centre-back and one of the best players for us. It is a big loss," said Kwon.

Kwon seem worried about Reduan's injury and Affendy Hj Yakup of Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB) has been called up in his place.

Apart from Reduan, others who did not make it were Mohd Khairul Amin, Ak Mohd Safri Pg Othman, Mohd Mazazizi Mazlan, Mohd Amir Ajmal Mohd Tahir and Julremi Hj Zaini.


The national team also received a timely boost ahead of the tournament following the jersey, track suit and sports facilities sponsorship from the MCYS yesterday.


Present during the handing over of sponsorship ceremony was the Minister of the MCYS, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah.


The Brunei Times ..