27 June 2021

DPMM FC ‘very hungry’ for action

 Fadhil Yunus

DPMM FC will taste their first competitive football against Bakes FC in the Brunei Super League 2021 at the Jerudong Park Mini Stadium in Jerudong tonight.

The Gegar Gegar men have not made any league appearance since hosting Tampines Rovers FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on March 6 last year, which was later annulled following their withdrawal from the Singapore Premier League.

The Brunei-based outfit will mark their return to domestic football for the first time since making the switch from the then-called B-League in 2004 to the Malaysia Premier League.

“We’re looking forward to play competitive football again after one year and three months. We’re very hungry for it,” DPMM FC head coach Adrian Pennock told the Sunday Bulletin.

He added, “Everybody has been very good especially through restrictions. We’ve been very respectful with what the government has told us to do. It has been difficult but we’ve just gone on with it and been very professional.

“We can’t wait for Sunday. It doesn’t matter what league we play in and who we play. I just think us playing competitively again is very important.”

Pennock, who guided DPMM FC to the Singapore Premier League title in 2019, said their targets remain the same which is to win every game.

The head coach also lauded the work of the club’s fitness coach Jason Moriarty amid the absence of competitive football.

“Jason Moriarty (fitness coach) has done exceptionally well during the year and three months that we have been out. He has kept the players fitter and stronger when we had a lot of downtime,” he said.

The Jerudong-based team have not met local opposition since a 1-0 win over AH United in September 2005, which was then annulled as they discontinued their season in the Brunei top flight.

Pennock said they will treat their opponents with respect as they begin their quest for a third national title since lifting the trophy in 2002 and 2004, saying, “we will respect Bakes like we would if we’re playing Tampines or Albirex in the Singapore Premier League”.

DPMM FC have added rising star Nur Asyraffahmi Norsamri in their ranks from Kota Ranger FC.

“We have seen him before in the Brunei Super League, and we invited him over,” said Pennock adding that he watched Kota Ranger FC play before the Brunei Super League was called off in March last year.

“Even before when we’re playing in the Singapore Premier League in 2019, I was still watching local games here.”

On what he can bring to the team, Pennock said, “Nur Asyraffahmi has a very good footballing brain and he will score goals. We’re very excited and he’s been very good in the time we had off and has settled in really well.”

The Ipswich-born has also been aiding the development of younger players notably with the emergence of teenage sensation Hakeme Yazid bin Said and 20-year-old Wafi Aminuddin during their championship-winning season, as well as Hanif Farhan Azman last year.

“We want to get the younger players through. We got young Farhan, Keme and obviously Nur Asyraffahmi,” he said.

“I’ve seen the DPMM FC under-15 game. Recruitment is very important here especially young ones and they have to take their chance.

“The hardest thing for me come Sunday is the ones that I leave out and are not in the match-day squad.

“We have a big squad so it will be difficult for me to leave people out. But, I know that the players are very professional and they understand the situation.

“It doesn’t mean that they will not play the next game and there might be a possibility that they play the next game. Competition for places is very strong,” the head coach said.

https://borneobulletin.com.bn/dpmm-fc-very-hungry-for-action/

Brunei Super League - DPMM Fc 16-1 Bakes Fc

 Brunei Super League


DPMM Fc 16-1 Bakes Fc








19 June 2021

Wijaya FC aim for top-five finish in Brunei Super League

 Fadhil Yunus

Wijaya FC have set their sights of finishing in the top five in the Brunei Super League 2021 ahead of their league opener against Bakes FC at the Berakas Sports Complex this Sunday.

Team manager Pengiran Ali Redzuan bin Pengiran Haji Damit said on Wednesday, “With the inclusion of mostly youth players, we will try to finish in the top five.

“We have a mixture of youth and experience. We can say that 70 per cent of the team are made up of youth.

“There are a number of players who are in their early 20’s. We hope that the mixture of youth and experience will gel together,” he said.

Wijaya announced the return of former Brunei international Mohammad Shah Azahar Abdullah after previously leaving the team to embark on a running career.




“There are a few debutants in the squad. In addition, there are also players making a comeback,” Pengiran Ali Redzuan said.

The Ong Sum Ping outfit have also been boosted with the arrival of Muhammad Danish Danial Haji Alfian on loan from Kota Ranger FC, while former Kasuka FC youth player Syazwan Haji Sahrin has joined from IKLS.

The club will be without Awangku Ashraf Pengiran Haledi behind the sticks as the goalkeeper has been loaned out to Kasuka FC for a year.

With the goalkeeping position vacated, the three available goalkeepers will need to prove a point to cement a place in the starting line-up.

In stepping up their preparations for the upcoming season, Wijaya held friendly pre-season matches against MS PDB twice and IKLS.

Pengiran Ali Redzuan said, “Everybody had a chance to play and was given opportunities during the friendly matches. Overall, we are confident that the players can gel together.”

The team manager indicated that Mohd Sholihuddin Jamaluddin and Wan Ashraf Wan Mohd Tambrin Shah could take the league by storm, saying, “there are few players who can shine if they perform consistently at this level. I think they (Mohd Sholihuddin and Ashraf) have a good future ahead of them”.

The team will be led by Marhazif Ahad as captain with Jamrin Johari as vice-captain.

https://borneobulletin.com.bn/wijaya-fc-aim-for-top-five-finish-in-brunei-super-league/

16 June 2021

DPMM FC aim for Brunei Super League title

 By James Kon

After over a year of hiatus from competitive football, DPMM FC have set their sights on the Brunei Super League title this year, which will kick off on June 20.

“I am really looking forward to competing in Brunei Super League 2021. It is great that we are able to play competitive football again,” head coach Adrian Pennock said during the contract signing of DPMM FC players at The Centrepoint Hotel yesterday.

“The squad and staff have been really good in training. We are really looking forward to the first game of the league,” he added.

Twenty-four players signed their contracts with the club yesterday, in the presence of DPMM FC Vice Chairman Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim bin Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin was also present.

Signing for DPMM FC were General Manager Mohamad Ali bin Haji Momin and Finance Officer Md Kamarul Ariffin bin Haji Arpan.



DPMM FC head coach Adrian Pennock. PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR
https://borneobulletin.com.bn/dpmm-fc-aim-for-brunei-super-league-title/