2nd Leg: Brunei Darussalam 2-1 Mongolia

Bandar Seri Begawan: There was no joy for Brunei Darussalam despite beating Mongolia 2-1, with the Southeast Asians being edged 3-2 on aggregate in their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification tie on Tuesday.

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Mongolia made history as they progressed to the next round of the Asian Qualifiers for the first time and it is a a well deserved achievement.

Brunei Darussalam, chasing a 2-0 deficit from Thursday's first leg, took the game to Mongolia at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium from the first blow of the referee's whistle.

Their early aggression brought almost immediate reward as Razimie Ramli gave them the lead in the fourth minute.

Razimie, easily Brunei Darussalam's best player on the night, continue to torment Mongolia and drew the Southeast Asians level on aggregate with a sublime effort just before the break.

The goal brought the fans to their feet and as both teams headed into the dressing rooms, Brunei Darussalam looked the likelier of the two sides to finish the job in the second 45 minutes.

Disaster, however, struck the home team just two minutes into the restart as they conceded a penalty.

Mongolian captain Norjmoo Tsedenbal, who struck the first goal of the Asian Qualifiers in the 2-0 first leg win, stepped up and easily converted as the visitors had a crucial away goal.

Having taken the lead on aggregate, Mongolia defended stoutly and as the final whistle was blown, there was heartbreak for Brunei Darussalam.

http://www.the-afc.com/asiancup/news/2nd-leg-brunei-darussalam-2-1-mongolia

Free entry for Brunei-Mongolia match on June 11

by Fadhil Yunus

FOOTBALL fans in Brunei Darussalam are welcome to support and watch the second leg of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar and AFC Asia Cup 2023 Joint Qualification Round 1 match between Brunei Darussalam and Mongolia at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on June 11.

Free tickets will be available during match day on June 11 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium Sport’s Association Room No 1 at the VIP parking area and the ticketing booth near the Aquatics Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex from 9am until 9.15pm.

In Tutong District, tickets are available at the Tutong Sports Complex; residents in Belait District can grab them at Mumong Sports Complex; while residents in Temburong District can get them at Temburong Sports Complex.

Entry to the stadium will open at 6.15pm for fans to avoid long queues. Spectators are urged to follow the instructions given by the ticket ushers on duty, and are not allowed to bring prohibited items, any types of weapons, fireworks/firecrackers as well as wind instruments. Smoking and vaping around the area of the stadium are also prohibited.

https://borneobulletin.com.bn/free-entry-for-brunei-mongolia-match-on-june-11/

Servais optimistic for Mongolia second leg

by Fadhil Yunus 

BRUNEI Darussalam’s head coach Robbie Servais remains optimistic about getting back into contention despite a 2-0 defeat against Mongolia in the first leg of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 at the MFF Football Centre in Ulaanbaatar recently.

Goals from newly appointed captain Norjmoo Tsedenbal and Naranbold Nyam-Osor in either side of the half meant that the Wasps have it all to do in the second leg at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on June 11.

But despite the loss, the head coach still hangs on to the belief that they could overturn the deficit. “There is still a chance for us. I’m still optimistic,” said the Dutchman.

The national head coach also admitted his charges struggled with the physicality of the Mongolian team.

“It was clear we struggled with the physical football of Mongolia. My players are not used to that kind of physicality.”

He continued, “So it was more than expected with the long balls and then we were physically not able to cope with that.”

he national head coach has no arguments that Mongolia were worthy winners in the halfway stage, who will now carry a two-goal advantage in Brunei.

“I think it is a deserved win for Mongolia,” said Servais.

“After this game, we also know their weaknesses better so it is still not finished. We have a home game under difficult circumstances for Mongolia.”

The former Singapore under-19 head coach also highlighted that the playing surface also made it difficult for his charges to play their usual game.

“We also struggled with the field (astro turf) with a lot of rubber so we could not play the game we would have liked to play.

“We need to play the ball and keep possession and on this pitch it is a little bit difficult for us,” he added.

Although the apparent difficulties surrounding the players, the head coach took notice of their unrelenting spirits.

“I can only be happy with the spirit of my players. They did well although they struggled under difficult circumstances.”

The Wasps will play under familiar conditions having competed in weather where temperatures dropped drastically during their time in East Asia.

He added, “We have a home game and the weather is better and suitable for us. The pitch is more suitable for us so we will give Mongolia a hard fight.”

https://borneobulletin.com.bn/servais-optimistic-for-mongolia-second-leg/

Asian Qualifiers: Mongolia 2-0 Brunei Darussalam

Ulaanbaatar: Goals by Tsedenbal Norjmoo and Naranbold Nyam-Osor secured Mongolia a 2-0 win over Brunei Darussalam in the first leg of their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification tie on Thursday.

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Coached by Dutchman Robbie Servais, Brunei sorely missed their key players as Mongolia dominated proceedings from the word go with a brilliant display of attacking football

Mongolia took Brunei by surprise with their pacy start, which resulted in the home side forcing as error which gave them a free-kick in the ninth minute which Tsedenbal curled into the net.

Mongolian goalkeeper Saikhanchuluun Amarbayasgalan did find himself challenged on a number of occasions in the first half but kept his calm on every occasion to ensure his team didn’t give away their advantage.

Mongolia came close to doubling their lead in the 30th minute but Ganhuyag Ser-Od-Yan was dispossessed near the post.

In the 39th minute, Naranbold slipped passed his marker but a weak left-footed shot failed to trouble Brunei’s custodian.

Enkhbileg Purevodrj had another chance a couple of minutes later when he took a diagonal shot from the edge of the box but ended up skying it.

Mongolia were just as relentless in the second half and Naranbold Nyam-Osor capitalised on a slip-up by the Brunei defence in the 68th minute when he tapped it in as four defenders looked on.

Having doubled their lead with the home fans cheering them on, Mongolia ensured they took a healthy lead into the second leg on Tuesday in Bandar Seri Begawan.

http://www.the-afc.com/asiancup/news/asian-qualifiers-mongolia-2-0-brunei-darussalam

Brunei national team set to miss nine key players

by Fadhil Yunus

BRUNEI Darussalam’s national football team will be without the services of nine key players from DPMM FC in the first leg of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 against Mongolia at the MFF Football Centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on June 6.

The nine players who are not part of the 23-member squad for the World Cup qualifier are Abdul Mu’iz Sisa, Fakharazzi Hassan, Azwan Salleh, Azwan Ali Rahman, Hendra Idris, Azizi Ali Rahman, Najib Tarif, Shafie Effendy and Nurikhwan Othman.

Brunei Darussalam national head coach Robbie Servais originally planned to build the squad around the nine players but their absence has provided a huge impact to his plans.

“It (the players not in the squad) has a big impact on my plans. The plan is to build around the nine players. There is nothing I can do, I forget about it, look what I have and work with the players that I have,” said Servais in an interview with the media.

Training in Xianghe, where the national team is based at in China, has gone smoothly and well where they trained twice a day with a very high intensity in training. Servais heaped praise on the excellent facilities in which it can lift the spirit of the players.

The Dutchman, who was appointed last month, shared that the team played very well during their friendly match against Beijing Sport University and although their opponents were stronger, they fashioned better opportunities.

“We have a very good game against a second division Chinese team, a team that is stronger but we follow the plans. We managed to keep a clean sheet and created better chances than the opponent,” the former Singapore under-19 head coach said.

Servais has tagged Mongolia as the favourite as they are the hosts and could have a full squad to choose from, with their coach ever present with the team for a couple of years.

He added, “I see some footage of them, they look a little bit stronger than us but we have a plan and if we stick to the plan, we also have a chance against Mongolia.”

The Wasps will play the second leg at home at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on June 11.

https://borneobulletin.com.bn/brunei-national-team-set-to-miss-nine-key-players/

Brunei win in friendly match against Beijing Sport University

by Fadhil Yunus     

BRUNEI Darussalam’s national football team warmed up ahead of their crucial first leg tie against Mongolia in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 with a friendly match win against Beijing Sport University at the Olympic Sports Centre in Beijing, China yesterday.

The national team emerged victorious in the penalty shootout 5-4 after both teams were locked level in a goalless draw during normal time.