MS ABDB Beat Kota Ranger to Reach Last Four

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MS ABDB progressed to the semi-finals of the Brunei DST FA Cup 2016 after edging Kota Ranger FC 1-0 at the Berakas Sports Complex last night.

Abd Azizi All Rahman's strike in the 47th minute proved enough to settle the contest which saw both sides struggling to cope with the pitch conditions following the early rainfall.

The notable absentees for the army personnel were national team players Mohd Baharin Hamidon and Razimie RamIli who were ineligible for selection due to suspension.

First choice goalkeeper Mohd Tarmlzi Haji Mat Johari, who featured in AFC Solidarity Cup games against Macau and Laos, Haji Mohd Yusof Haji Matyassin and Azizi Ali Rahman all made starts.

MS ABDB's defender Haji Mohd Yusof Haji Matyassin lurked on the far post but ballooned his shot wide after reacting to a corner.

The army personnel delivered a good cross into the box but Khairuddin bin Mohd Azahari could not guide his header towards goal.

MS ABDB substitute Mohd Safarudin Azami gave chase to a loose ball deep into the second half and almost beat the last defender which would have given him only the goalkeeper in his sights but could not mark his appearance with a goal.

Meanwhile at the Tutong Sports Complex, Indera SC marched to the semifinals after beating Kasuka FC 3-1.
Awangku Mohd Asrin gave Kasuka a dream start in the 3rd minute but Hamizan Aziz pegged his side back into level terms in the 18th minute.

Afindi Yati's own goal in the 56th minute turned the tie on its head before Mohd Nur Akmal completed the scoring in the 69th minute.

MS ABDB will meet Indera SC in a mouth-watering clash in the semi-finals of the Brunei DST FA Cup on December 16 while the other semi-final pits Tabuan Under-17 and Najip I-Team.

http://www.brudirect.com/news.php?id=18991

AFC SOLIDARITY CUP SF: MACAU V BRUNEI DARUSSALAM PREVIEW

Kuching: Macau coach Tam Iao San is hoping first choice striker Nicholas Torrao can make a goal scoring return to the team when they take on Brunei Darussalam in the semi-finals of the AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 on Saturday evening.

Torrao was suspended for the 1-1 draw with Sri Lanka on Wednesday evening and flew back to Macau due to work commitments, but the 28-year-old forward will return to Kuching in the early hours of Saturday morning to join his team mates for the last four meeting at Sarawak Stadium.

The Benfica de Macau forward is the tournament’s leading scorer with four goals in his first two games at the competition but Tam (pictured, left) is confident his team can succeed, with or without the striker.

“Torrao has already gone back to Macau because of his job after the Laos match,” said Tam. “He was also suspended and he got a little bit of an injury, but the results we have got in this tournament means that the people in Macau have their eyes focused on the national team and are happy with the results.

“We will try to arrange for him to be back for the semi-final. He has to finish his work on Friday, so he will be back on Saturday, early in the morning. Every team has their difficulties and sometimes you miss important players, but the others have to take responsibility. We play as a team and this is very important.

“This is a new chapter for Macau and Brunei to enter the semi-finals and we will make sure both of us honour the importance of the tournament and we want to show our football. All of us from Macau, the players, coaching staff, the whole team have done their best. We tried to pass through the group matches and our next target is to fight for the final, but both teams are the same.”

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE, RESULTS & LIVE STREAMING LINKS

Brunei, meanwhile, go into the game off the back of a 3-0 loss in their final Group A game with Nepal on Tuesday evening, but coach Kwok Oh-son (pictured, right) believes his team can bounce back and claim a berth in the final.

“It was pretty easy to bring their confidence back up, the players understand why they lost and the problems they had,” said the coach from Korea Republic. “I tried to give them some feedback and they accepted that.

“We won 4-0 against Timor-Leste and lost 3-0 against Nepal, so it was a very good match to get feedback for the players. They have prepared themselves well to perform at their best level in tomorrow’s match.

“It’s a very important game because all four teams in the semi-finals are strong. Macau has a really strong attack, midfield and defenders but we are happy to face them. The semi-final is sudden death, there’s only winners and losers. There is no second chance. It’s important the players do well and whoever wins will qualify for the final.”

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-solidarity-cup-2016/afc-solidarity-cup-sf-macau-v-brunei-darussalam-preview

NEPAL BEAT BRUNEI AND REACH AFC SOLIDARITY CUP SEMIS

Kuching: Nepal booked their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 on Tuesday evening as Group A winners with a 3-0 win over Brunei Darussalam at Sarawak Stadium.

A goal in each half from Nawayug Shrestha and Bharat Khawas before a late penalty from Bimal Gharti gave coach Koji Gyotoku’s side their first win of the tournament and, after a scoreless draw with Timor-Leste in their opening game, moved the Nepalese on to four points from two matches.

Despite the defeat Brunei will also progress to the semi-finals, where they will meet Macau, who are already assured of top spot in Group A after back-to-back wins in their opening two games in the tournament.

Nepal will meet either Laos or Mongolia, with the two teams set to battle it out on Wednesday to determine who advances to the last four of the competition.

Both Nepal and Brunei made one change from their previous game in the tournament, with Brunei calling up Hairol Azaman to replace Shafie Efenddy while Nepal switched Anjan Bista with striker Khawas in an attempt to find a solution to their inability find the back of the net.

Within eight minutes of the start, the Nepalese had fashioned out their first chance of the game when Nawayug Shrestha made a firm connection with his header, only for the ball to fly safely into the arms of goalkeeper Wardun Yussof.

As the half wore on, however, it was Brunei who exerted the greater amount of pressure. Azwan Saleh pulled his shot from just outside the area wide of Kiran Kumar Limbu’s goal while Shahrazen Said saw his header cleared off the line by Rabin Shrestha.

With seven minutes left on the first half clock, Said found himself with space behind the Nepal defence, only to see his shot from the tightest of angles saved by the goalkeeper.

As the game edged towards the halftime break, Nepal took the lead with their first goal of the tournament so far. Nawayug Shrestha saw his initial attempt on goal saved by Yussof, only for the goalkeeper to spill the ball and the striker to score at the second attempt.

With 18 minutes to go the Nepalese guaranteed themselves all three points when Nawayug Shrestha turned from scorer to provider, heading the ball across goal and into the path of Bharat Khawas, who netted with a perfectly executed strike from 15 yards out that flew into the bottom corner.

Gharti then scored from the spot 10 minutes from time, smashing the ball into the roof of the net after he was bundled over in the penalty area as Nepal sealed an emphatic win.

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-solidarity-cup-2016/nepal-beat-brunei-and-reach-afc-solidarity-cup-semis

KWON HAILS BRUNEI'S SUPERB SECOND-HALF PERFORMANCE

Kuching: Coach Kwon Oh-son hailed his players’ second-half performance after Brunei Darussalam opened the AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Timor-Leste in Group A on Wednesday.

A heavy downpour preceded kick-off at Sarawak Stadium and both sides struggled to find their rhythm in the first 45 minutes, before substitute Azwan Ali opened the scoring on 62 minutes.

Ali’s double and a penalty from Shah Razen Said all but finished the game off before Timor-Leste’s Rufino Gama was sent off and Adi Said scored an excellent free-kick to seal victory.

“The players adapted very well to the conditions and I think this great victory can lead to others,” said Kwon. “This was about the players’ performance and they did a fantastic job out there.

“Of course it was difficult to play in those conditions but in football you have to expect the unexpected – you cannot play on nice green grass every time.

“At half-time we tried to boost their performance and emphasised to them that they could win it. Then by scoring two goals they became confident.

“Ali was not fully fit so we were a little scared, but we tried to find the best solution to play him. He scored two goals but, first of all, it was a fantastic team performance.”

MATCH REPORT

Timor-Leste had the better of the first-half chances with striker Gama seeing his cross-goal effort tipped wide by Wardun Yussof four minutes before the interval and then curling narrowly wide soon after.

But despite finishing the half the stronger, Fabio Joaquim’s side failed to replicate their form after the interval and heads dropped when Ali broke the deadlock.

Gama’s dismissal then sealed a miserable second half for the Southeast Asians, who now need to avoid defeat against Nepal on Saturday to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals.

“In this kind of game it’s so difficult to play with the ball as there was so much water on the pitch,” said Joaquim. “But the players made mistakes that shouldn’t have happened.

“After we conceded we tried to fight but they lost their concentration and then we got a red card so it was difficult for us.

“I told my players they must concentrate all the time because Brunei did not create their goals, they happened because of our mistakes.

“If we scored first then the game could have been different. But in this game the teams could only play long balls and wait for the mistakes to happen, and it was us who made too many mistakes.”

Photo: AFC

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-solidarity-cup-2016/kwon-hails-bruneis-superb-second-half-performance

AFC SOLIDARITY CUP: BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 4-0 TIMOR-LESTE

Kuching: A second-half brace from substitute Azwan Ali helped Brunei Darussalam open their AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 account with a resounding 4-0 victory over Timor-Leste in Group A on Wednesday.

In a tightly fought first half at a saturated Sarawak Stadium, Timor-Leste’s Rufino Gama twice came close as half-time approached, but Ali gave Brunei the lead shortly after the hour.

Ali then added another midway through the half before Shah Razen Said scored from the spot. Gama saw red on 73 minutes and Adi Said netted a wonderful free kick to round off the scoring.

Timor-Leste had the first sight on goal on eight minutes when Adelino de Oliveira played the ball down the line for Silveiro Garcia, who cut inside from the left and drilled over from 15 yards.

Brunei came back into the game and had a chance of their own shortly before the 20-minute mark as Azwan Saleh fired over the crossbar from the edge of the area after the Timor-Leste backline had failed to clear Asnawi Syazni’s cross from the left.

Brunei had Wardun Yussof to thank for ensuring the sides went into the interval level after the goalkeeper pulled off a wonderful save on 41 minutes.

Captain Jose da Fonseca’s chipped ball over the top skimmed off the top of defender Mohammad Najib’s head and into the path of Gama, but the striker’s cross-goal effort was tipped wide by an outstretched Yussof.

KWON HAILS BRUNEI'S SUPERB SECOND-HALF PERFORMANCE

Gama then had another chance on the stroke of half-time when he curled wide from the edge of the area as Timor-Leste cranked up the pressure.

Kwon Oh-son’s side had the better of the opening second-half exchanges but struggled to create any chances of note as the tie remained scoreless on the hour.

Brunei then almost opened the scoring on 61 minutes when Shah Razen Said chipped goal-wards after the ball had slipped out of goalkeeper Fernandes Aderito’s hands but Oliveira was on hand to spare the custodian’s blushes.

A minute later, though, the sovereign state did break the deadlock when Ali raced onto a ball over the top and curled past Aderito.

Ali doubled his side’s advantage on 68 minutes as he finished from 10 yards after Aderito had denied both Adi Said and Shah Razen Said.

Brunei then put the game to bed with 20 minutes to play when Shah Razen Said scored from the spot after Nidio Alves upended Syazni.

Things went from bad to worse for Timor-Leste when Gama was sent off with 17 minutes remaining as Brunei threatened to run riot.

Kwon Oh-son’s side added another through Adi Said’s superb free kick with 10 minutes remaining to cap a memorable inaugural AFC Solidarity Cup tie for the Southeast Asians.

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-solidarity-cup-2016/afc-solidarity-cup-brunei-darussalam-4-0-timor-leste

AFC Solidarity Cup : Brunei 4-0 Timor-Leste !

AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia




Brunei 4-0 Timor-Leste


G: Azwan 60' 66' Razen S 70' Adi S 80'

AFC SOLIDARITY CUP: BRUNEI DARUSSALAM V TIMOR-LESTE PREVIEW

Kuching: Coach Fabio da Silva has his sights firmly set on the semi-finals of the AFC Solidarity Cup Malaysia 2016 as Timor-Leste prepare to kick off the inaugural competition against Brunei Darussalam in Group A at Sarawak Stadium on Wednesday.

The sides last met a little over two weeks ago when Brunei ran out 2-1 victors in Cambodia during the qualification campaign for the AFF Championship – a tournament both teams ultimately failed to reach. 

Timor-Leste now have a chance to avenge that loss in the first ever AFC Solidarity Cup encounter, but with just three teams in Group A – the other being Nepal – da Silva (pictured, left) knows that a second successive defeat against their Southeast Asian rivals could prove costly.

“It’s very important not to lose your first game because there is no time to recover,” said da Silva. “In longer tournaments there are more games but here we don’t have that.

“But we will treat it like a normal game and not put pressure on the players. The first result is very important and if we win the game we know it’s one big step towards the next round.”

Timor-Leste took the lead early on through Rufino Gama against Wednesday’s opponents in Phnom Penh only for goals from Adi Said and Shafie Effendy before the interval to secure Brunei’s first competitive win since March 2015.

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE & FIXTURES

“We started that game very well but we let in two goals after mistakes,” added da Silva. “But in the second half we played a great game.

“This tournament is now very important for our national team. We are a young side and in a good way so I expect we can do great things.”

Brunei, meanwhile, recently replaced interim head coach Mike Wong with Kwon Oh-sun (pictured, right) of Korea Republic ahead of the continental competition.

And with the sovereign state side set to benefit from a five-day break following Wednesday’sfixture, Kwon will be looking to get his tenure off to the perfect start ahead of their second and final Group A outing against Nepal.

“Of course there is pressure with just three teams in the group,” said Kwon. “However, we all need to focus and be confident in this kind of situation.

“We have played in a lot of competitive matches lately and many of the team play in the Singaporean league too.

“Timor-Leste are very strong, enthusiastic and have fighting spirit. But our preparation is going well and we know we need to focus.

“It’s an honour to be in this first tournament and we want to reach the best of our ability. We will treat each game like a final.”

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-solidarity-cup-2016/afc-solidarity-cup-brunei-darussalam-v-timor-leste-preview

Helmi, Azwan join team for AFC Solidarity Cup

YEE CHUN LEONG

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE national football team have been boosted with the addition of defender Helmi Zambin and midfielder Azwan Ali Rahman in their 23-man squad for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Solidarity Cup 2016 in Kuching.

The Wasps will kick off their Group A campaign with a meeting against Timor Leste in the curtain raiser at the Sarawak Stadium tomorrow before facing Nepal six days later. Sri Lanka. Macau, Mongolia and Laos make up Group B.

The arrival of DPMM FC right-back Helmi will help ease the defensive dilemma for coach Kwon Oh-son with the duo of centre-backs Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos and Muhammad Hanif Hamir out injured.

The South Korean is deploying skipper Rosmin Hj Md Kamis, who is set to retire from international football after the competition, as an emergency defender together with the centre-back pairing of Afi Aminuddin and Khairil Shahme Suhaimi.

Despite a nagging left ankle injury, 2015 Singapore League (S-League) Young Player of the Year winner Azwan Ali is expected to feature in the Nov 2-15 tournament and will add to the creativity going up front.

“For now Azwan Ali cannot play the first game because he has not fully recovered from his ankle injury and he will probably only play from the second game,” said Kwon (pic) in an interview as translated by his son Kwon Hyuk-soo with The Brunei Times yesterday.

“Helmi plays at the right-back position and will help improve our side defence a lot,” he added.

Left-back Najib Hj Tarif picked up an injury just before half-time against Timor Leste in the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers in Cambodia on Oct 15.

He hasn’t played since and didn’t leave with the team yesterday despite being listed.

Kwon, though, is hopeful he will join them in the Sarawak capital.

“His conditional recovery is not 100 per cent but his mentality and his spirit is there,” said the 57-year-old before the team’s departure at the NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) House in Berakas.

“He is not giving up and is trying to give his best... That is a good thing ahead of the match against Timor Leste.

“He wants to play for Brunei, but maybe he cannot play the full 90 minutes,” he added.

Kwon, who helped the national Under-21 football team win the 2012 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy, has not set a target for this week’s competition.

“For now we need to take it one game at a time,” said Kwon.

“There are only two matches in our group, and to qualify, we need one win and one draw — for safety reasons.

“We need to take every game as serious as a final to improve our chances of qualification (to the semi-finals) and beyond that.

“We have to put 110 to 120 per cent for every game.

There is plenty of recovery time after the Timor Leste game and it is important for the players to give it their all in every match,” added Kwon.

The Brunei Times