27 April 2017

KEAN HOPEFUL OF DPMM RESURGENCE



Brunei DPMM vs Tampines Rovers
(Friday, 28 April, 8.15pm, Bandar Seri Begawan)
Written by: Phoon Jia Hui
Brunei DPMM will be looking to return to winning ways in the 2017 Great Eastern-Hyundai when they host Tampines Rovers in Bandar Seri Begawan on Friday night.
After their 2-0 defeat to Geylang International the last time out, Steve Kean’s side - who sit second from bottom - have already lost five games and are making their worst start to any S.League season.
However, Kean believes that better days are coming and it is a matter of time before the Wasps bounce back.
“Some things are going against us at the moment and we are going through a tough spell at the moment,” he said of the 2015 S.League champions.
“It's not really falling for us but we just have to work through it.”
Reflecting on the loss to the Eagles, the former Blackburn Rovers manager added: “But we have to accept that the first goal’s poor and that's two mistakes that's cost us.
“We have to work on our basic defending. When the ball's there to be cleared, you clear it,”
Having conceded 14 goals so far, Kean admits that his side’s team defensive frailties are clear to see but has vowed to work on that.
“What we can do when defending the crosses is to first of all, you stop it from coming in,” said the Scot. “When it does come in, we must make sure we head it out of the red zone which is just on the edge the box.
“If you don’t do that, you run the risk of having to defend second phase - which means volleys or one-two. So defensive headers need to go out and beyond that danger area. This gives the other guys the chance to pick the ball up for us to break forward.”
Tampines on the other hand, come into this after a last-gasp 1-0 win over Garena Young Lions last Sunday.
It seemed like the two teams had to settle for a point each but forward Khairul Amri popped up with the winner deep into injury time to help the Stags keep pace with leaders Albirex Niigata (S).
Raab will however be without the services of his talismanic forward who, along with midfielder Son Yong Chan, will be suspended for this one.
Despite their unavailability, the German is confident that the rest of his players can step up and deliver.
“If Amri is not in the team, we have to look at what we can do,” said Raab.
“We will find a solution, something the team has shown (that they can do) in the past. We've had so many problems with injuries but we have always found a solution.
“But we have managed to close the gap to the top teams, and that's the most important thing.”
Suspensions: Son Yong Chan and Khairul Amri (Tampines Rovers)

http://www.sleague.com/match-preview/s-league/2017/april/2017-04-28/brunei-dpmm-fc/

23 April 2017

MS PDB edge Lun Bawang 2-0 in league opener

|     Fadhil Yunus     |
MS PDB left it late to seal a morale-boosting 2-0 victory against Lun Bawang in the Brunei DST Super League at the Berakas Sports Complex last night.
MS PDB’s Hafiz Haji Awang Ahmad’s stunner and a sublime Jasriman bin Haji Johari’s free-kick in the final ten minutes sent all three points to the police personnel.
With the game threatening to end in a stalemate, Lun Bawang’s Delson bin Jumat outmuscled the MS PDB defence but could not quite guide his shot into the bottom corner.
Hafiz’s wonderful effort flew from outside the box and into the back of the net to give the police side a well-deserved lead who have dominated large periods of the second half.
MS PDB’s veteran Jasriman came on a substitute and curled a stunning free-kick leaving the Lun Bawang goalkeeper absolutely no chance.
However, there was drama in the end after a Lun Bawang player’s header crashed against the crossbar before Yunus bin Lupat scuffed his shot wide deep into stoppage time.
MS PDB head coach Staff Sgt Sahrin Mohamad Jaya said that only three points mattered during their opening game of the season.
“We only target three points for our first game in the Brunei DST Super League. We’re not concerned with how many goals we’ve scored as long as we end the match with all three points,” Sahrin told the Sunday Bulletin.
The police personnel boast a new look side following a major overhaul with three to four players retained from the previous season.
http://borneobulletin.com.bn/ms-pdb-edge-lun-bawang-2-0-league-opener/

Kean bemoans gifted goals in setback

|      Fadhil Yunus       |
DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean has indicated that his charges gifted goals to Geylang International FC during their 2-0 defeat in the Great Eastern-Hyundai S League at the Bedok Stadium in Singapore on Thursday night.
The hosts netted a 13th minute goal soon after a DPMM FC player received a touch from a hopeful cross made by a Geylang player on the touchline which enabled Shahfiq Ghani to slam home the ball into the back of the net.
“I thought we gave away the two goals. To be honest, the first goal from the touchline was too easy and the second, the defender (Yura) should learn that he has to clear at first opportunity,” Kean told the S League.
The head coach insisted that it is back to the drawing board for his charges as a tantalising tie against fierce rivals Tampines Rovers FC awaits at the end of the month.
“I felt certain parts of the game we gave away Geylang too much time on the ball and we should do better (in that aspect).
“We have to adapt our tactics according to the opposition but now it’s back home and back to hard work,” the head coach further added.
Meanwhile, Kean’s opposite number Hasrin Jailani was pleased with his side’s performance.
“Everyone did well today, we more or less controlled the game today and did very well defensively,” said Hasrin in a post-match interview.
He was happy with his side succeeding in stopping the advances of the striking duo of Billy Mehmet and Rafael Ramazotti but still exercised caution on allowing opposition to roam freely on the flanks.
“We knew they have two tall strikers and we managed to close them down, but at the same time we could not afford to let their players go down the flanks,” added Hasrin.
The head coach felt that the win provided a massive boost in lifting their confidence concluding that there is a “long way to go” with two more games to be completed before the conclusion of the first round in the Great Eastern-Hyundai S League.
http://borneobulletin.com.bn/kean-bemoans-gifted-goals-setback/

DRAW FOR AFC U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 QUALIFIERS FINALISED



Kuala Lumpur: Some 45 Member Associations from across Asia learned their opponents for the upcoming AFC U-16 Championship 2018 qualifiers on Friday following the official draw at AFC House.
Defending champions Iraq, have been grouped with India, Palestine and Nepal who will host the qualifiers in Group D, while the Islamic Republic of Iran - last year’s runners-up - are scheduled to meet Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Bhutan in Group C.
Elsewhere, two-time champions and 2016 semi-finalists DPR Korea, will face Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Macau and Brunei Darussalam in Group F, with Japan, who also reached last year’s semi-finals drawn in Group J, along with Singapore, Malaysia and Guam.
The ten (10) group winners and five (5) best second-placed teams will advance to the final stage of the tournament, along with the host Member Association. The AFC U-16 Championship 2018 qualifiers are set to take place from September 16 to 24, 2017.
EAST Zone
Group F:

1. DPR Korea
2. Hong Kong
3. Chinese Taipei
4. Macau
5. Brunei Darussalam

http://www.the-afc.com/u-16-championship-2018/draw-for-afc-u-16-championship-2018-qualifiers-finalised

AFC U-19 CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 QUALIFYING DRAW CONCLUDED

Kuala Lumpur: Forty-three Asian hopefuls now know their qualifying opponents following Friday's draw at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
2016 champions, Japan, having finally claimed the crown after six previous appearances in the final, will face Thailand, Singapore and Mongolia, who are scheduled to host the Group I qualifiers.
Saudi Arabia, runners-up at the 2016 edition will welcome Yemen, Turkmenistan and India in Group D, while 2016 semi-finalists and Group E hosts, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will meet Palestine, Jordan and Syria.
Meanwhile, Korea Republic, who have won the competition twelve times, will play host to a five-team Group F which also features Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia.
Ten (10) group winners and five (5) best second-placed teams will advance to finals along with the host country. The AFC U-19 Championship qualifying stage is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8, 2017.
EAST Zone
Group F:

1. Korea Republic (Host for qualifiers)
2. Malaysia
3. Timor-Leste
4. Brunei Darussalam
5. Indonesia

http://www.the-afc.com/u-19-championship-2018/afc-u-19-championship-2018-qualifying-draw-concluded

01 April 2017

Brunei handed tough AFC draw

|     Fadhil Yunus     |
BRUNEI Darussalam have been drawn in Group ‘A’ in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-20 Futsal Championship following a draw at the Grand Fourwings Convention in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.
The young Wasps have been handed a tough draw alongside Thailand, Iraq, Malaysia, Bahrain and Afghanistan.
The tournament will begin from May 16 to 26.
A total of 21 teams will be taking part in the competition which serves as the qualifying for the futsal tournament at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina where the winners and the runner-up will book their places to represent their respective under-18 teams.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.

http://borneobulletin.com.bn/brunei-handed-tough-afc-draw/