HAVING had time to gather his thoughts, striker Shahrazen Hj Md Said realises he should have tried harder to make his trip to Goa, India, work out.
The 25-year-old hitman was to become the first local footballer to try his luck abroad when he left last Monday for a tryout with India League's (I-League) 2nd Division side Sporting Clube de Goa.
But a stressful journey to the coastal Indian State and the culture-shock that came from being in a new country for the first time saw the emotional striker return to Brunei after less than two days in India.
"I am sorry for what I said earlier (on Thursday). I didn't mean it," Shahrazen said, referring to comments he made in yesterday's edition of The Brunei Times.
"I was homesick as this was the first time in my football career that I had travelled alone without teammates around me," he said yesterday.
Shahrazen (pic) took nearly a day to reach Goa, travelling from Brunei to Bangkok and Mumbai before finally touching down at 6.50am in the coastal Indian State.
All is not lost though, and Shahrazen said he would be willing to give the western Indian State another chance.
"I may go back (to Goa) because the president of the club invited me to return after two weeks," he said.
"I also want to thank the club for inviting me to play there in the first place," he added.
In all fairness, the situation in Goa was not what Shahrazen had expected.
His agent had told him the club were already mid-way through their season and that he would be offered a contract immediately.
But when Shahrazen arrived he found out the club were on a break until April, when they would compete in a month-long tournament to fight for a place in the I-League 1st Division play-offs.
He would also have to complete trials.The Brunei Times
27 February 2011
Shahrazen - 30 hours in Goa
Striker only lasted a day in India, will not play for Sporting Clube de Goa
SHAHRAZEN Hj Md Said's quest to become the first local footballer to play abroad came to a premature end when he returned home on Thursday.
The DPMM FC striker left Brunei to play in the India League (I-League) 2nd Division's side Sporting Clube de Goa on Monday but was only able to put up with the city for 30 hours.
"I touched down in Goa at 6.50am on Tuesday and I already had a bad feeling," he told The Brunei Times yesterday.
"The place looked like it just recovered from a war. It was dirty and it smelt of everything from the drain to the garbage to the soil.
"I flew in through Bangkok and Mumbai and I was 100 per cent committed all the way. But as soon as I reached Goa it went down to zero per cent.
"I got to the club's guest house and I was already thinking about how to get back. I already knew I didn't want to stay because my heart was not comfortable.
"Before that I was proud to become the first Bruneian to play overseas, but when I was there I didn't think about that at all," he sighed.
The 25-year-old hitman also said the situation in Goa was not what he had signed up for.
His Malaysian agent Hizo Hizwan had told him Sporting Clube de Goa were already mid-way through their season and he would be offered a contract straight away.
But when Shahrazen met with club officials on Tuesday night he found out that the team were on a break until April, when they would compete in a month-long tournament to fight for a place in the I-League 1st Division play-offs.
He would also have to go through trials, so he didn't have a job waiting for him after all as promised.
Despite trying their best to persuade him to stay until the end of the month at least, Sporting Clube de Goa's pleas fell on deaf ears.
"They understood I was not comfortable," explained Shahrazen.
"At first they wanted me to stay. They said I was stressed because it was my first time in India and they asked me to wait for 15 to 20 days and make my decision after that.
"But I was straight forward with them and told them I could not continue," stressed the Bruneian.
Shahrazen had by this time already talked to Hizo and asked him to book his return flight, but the agent also advised him to stick around in Goa for a while and slug it out.
The striker said that things only looked up for him when Hizo called at 3am on Wednesday to say that he had talked to the club officials and would try to get him a ticket back to Brunei.
Shahrazen went to his one and only training session on Wednesday morning and was out of Goa by 2.30pm the same day.
Though he admits he was less than happy with his agent, Shahrazen has no hard feelings.
"At first I was stressed and disappointed. I was also a bit angry at the agent but after he helped me get back it was alright," he said.
According to Shahrazen, Hizo had heard about him from his time in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) with DPMM FC when the striker finished joint top scorer during the 2006/2007 season with 21 goals.
Shahrazen also led DPMM FC in scoring during their debut S-League season in 2008/2009 by finding the back of the net nine times and was crucial to the team's Singapore League Cup championship run in 2009.
He had previously received offers to play in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia from other agents, but none were as concrete as India.
A store-keeper at the Department of Public Works (JKR), Shahrazen's leave which was to be until April 30 is now void and he will report back to work today.
Despite his first stint overseas leaving him with a bad taste in the mouth, Shahrazen said he was still eager to ply his trade abroad.
"The agent is now looking for clubs in Hong Kong and Singapore ... Basically places where the transfer window is still open," said Shahrazen.
"All in all I'm disappointed with what has happened.
"I still want to play abroad but I must do proper research first, I don't want it to be like this again." The Brunei Times
SHAHRAZEN Hj Md Said's quest to become the first local footballer to play abroad came to a premature end when he returned home on Thursday.
The DPMM FC striker left Brunei to play in the India League (I-League) 2nd Division's side Sporting Clube de Goa on Monday but was only able to put up with the city for 30 hours.
"I touched down in Goa at 6.50am on Tuesday and I already had a bad feeling," he told The Brunei Times yesterday.
"The place looked like it just recovered from a war. It was dirty and it smelt of everything from the drain to the garbage to the soil.
"I flew in through Bangkok and Mumbai and I was 100 per cent committed all the way. But as soon as I reached Goa it went down to zero per cent.
"I got to the club's guest house and I was already thinking about how to get back. I already knew I didn't want to stay because my heart was not comfortable.
"Before that I was proud to become the first Bruneian to play overseas, but when I was there I didn't think about that at all," he sighed.
The 25-year-old hitman also said the situation in Goa was not what he had signed up for.
His Malaysian agent Hizo Hizwan had told him Sporting Clube de Goa were already mid-way through their season and he would be offered a contract straight away.
But when Shahrazen met with club officials on Tuesday night he found out that the team were on a break until April, when they would compete in a month-long tournament to fight for a place in the I-League 1st Division play-offs.
He would also have to go through trials, so he didn't have a job waiting for him after all as promised.
Despite trying their best to persuade him to stay until the end of the month at least, Sporting Clube de Goa's pleas fell on deaf ears.
"They understood I was not comfortable," explained Shahrazen.
"At first they wanted me to stay. They said I was stressed because it was my first time in India and they asked me to wait for 15 to 20 days and make my decision after that.
"But I was straight forward with them and told them I could not continue," stressed the Bruneian.
Shahrazen had by this time already talked to Hizo and asked him to book his return flight, but the agent also advised him to stick around in Goa for a while and slug it out.
The striker said that things only looked up for him when Hizo called at 3am on Wednesday to say that he had talked to the club officials and would try to get him a ticket back to Brunei.
Shahrazen went to his one and only training session on Wednesday morning and was out of Goa by 2.30pm the same day.
Though he admits he was less than happy with his agent, Shahrazen has no hard feelings.
"At first I was stressed and disappointed. I was also a bit angry at the agent but after he helped me get back it was alright," he said.
According to Shahrazen, Hizo had heard about him from his time in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) with DPMM FC when the striker finished joint top scorer during the 2006/2007 season with 21 goals.
Shahrazen also led DPMM FC in scoring during their debut S-League season in 2008/2009 by finding the back of the net nine times and was crucial to the team's Singapore League Cup championship run in 2009.
He had previously received offers to play in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia from other agents, but none were as concrete as India.
A store-keeper at the Department of Public Works (JKR), Shahrazen's leave which was to be until April 30 is now void and he will report back to work today.
Despite his first stint overseas leaving him with a bad taste in the mouth, Shahrazen said he was still eager to ply his trade abroad.
"The agent is now looking for clubs in Hong Kong and Singapore ... Basically places where the transfer window is still open," said Shahrazen.
"All in all I'm disappointed with what has happened.
"I still want to play abroad but I must do proper research first, I don't want it to be like this again." The Brunei Times
20 February 2011
Shahrazen's passage to India
Brunei striker to play for India's Sporting Clube de Goa.
SHAHRAZEN Hj Md Said will become the first local footballer to ply his trade abroad when he leaves to join India's Sporting Clube de Goa today.
No stranger to creating history, the prolific striker has finally decided to test foreign shores after famously spurning various clubs in the region since DPMM FC's campaign in the Singapore League (S-League) came to a close in October 2009.
Handed a three-month contract by the India League's (I-League) Second Division side mid-way through their season, the 25-year-old Bruneian has been tasked with helping the team earn promotion back to the top flight.
"If they think I'm good they will give me a contract for the next season," he told The Brunei Times on Friday.
"The club used to be in the First Division and they're looking for a striker to help them get back (to the top flight). I won't have to go through any trials or anything I'm going to play straight away.
"It's my first time going to India so I'm excited and nervous. I'm also scared since I don't know much about the environment in Goa and the club.
"I don't even know the language. If they speak English it's alright, but what if they don't?
"I can't say how long it will take for me to adjust, but all I can say is that I want to try fit in as soon as possible. I think fitness shouldn't be a problem. I'm 90 per cent fit since DPMM FC haven't stopped training as a club.
"I'm proud that I have become the first Bruneian to play abroad but I ask myself if I will be able to compete with the Indians or not ...
"The next three months will be important," he stressed.
Finishing joint top scorer during the 2006/07 Malaysian Super League (MSL) season with 21 goals, Shahrazen also led DPMM FC in scoring during their debut S-League season in 2008/09 by bulging the net nine times.
Brunei's only professional club, DPMM FC became the first foreign team to win the Singapore League Cup in June 2009 and Shahrazen said that capturing the trophy and being named the MSL joint top scorer ranked as his most memorable moments in the sport.
The hitman has been courted by Malaysian giants Selangor and Pahang in the past, with Indonesian Super League side Persiba Balikpapan and Singapore League outfit Balestier Khalsa FC also having expressed interest in his services.
However, he denied them all, saying that the time was not right.
Though he might not know much about his new club at least he can get some pointers about the league and country from Keita Mandjou, the Guinean who tied Shahrazen in scoring during the 2006/07 MSL season and who is currently at I-League's First Division side Pune FC.
Created in the mould of Portuguese side Sporting Clube de Portugal or more commonly known as Sporting Lisbon Sporting Clube de Goa were formed in 1999.
Making their debut in the Indian National Football League Premier Division the predecessor of the I-League during the 2003/04 season, Sporting Clube de Goa have enjoyed some success in the First Division where they finished ahead of more established clubs in the country.
Shahrazen said he heard the club were looking for a striker to revive their fortunes through a Malaysian agent early last week.
Though the club have not seen Shahrazen in action, his resume impressed them enough to sign him.
Obstacles such as getting an international transfer certificate (ITC), a visa and leave from his employers he works as a storekeeper at the Department of Public Works (JKR) sorted themselves out as the week progressed.
"At first I thought I couldn't go because Brunei doesn't have a football association which is recognised internationally so it would be hard for me to get an ITC," said the hitman, referring to the document which enables a player to transfer from one club to another.
"I thought that since there was no umbrella body for Bruneian footballers I couldn't play abroad, but the agent took care of everything and I got the ITC direct from Fifa.
"DPMM FC, the Department of Youth and Sports and the JKR have been with me all the way. So I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports as well as the Ministry of Development and the Department of Civil Services for making this work out.
"Most importantly, my family has been really, really supportive especially my wife who is expecting our third child. My leave is until April 30 so I should be back before my wife is due."
Whether Shahrazen makes his mark in Goa or if his contract will be extended is for anyone to guess. But one thing is for sure his potential will never be fully realised if he stays in Brunei and hopefully his move will be the spark that local footballers need to test their luck abroad.The Brunei Times
Brunei Times
SHAHRAZEN Hj Md Said will become the first local footballer to ply his trade abroad when he leaves to join India's Sporting Clube de Goa today.
No stranger to creating history, the prolific striker has finally decided to test foreign shores after famously spurning various clubs in the region since DPMM FC's campaign in the Singapore League (S-League) came to a close in October 2009.
Handed a three-month contract by the India League's (I-League) Second Division side mid-way through their season, the 25-year-old Bruneian has been tasked with helping the team earn promotion back to the top flight.
"If they think I'm good they will give me a contract for the next season," he told The Brunei Times on Friday.
"The club used to be in the First Division and they're looking for a striker to help them get back (to the top flight). I won't have to go through any trials or anything I'm going to play straight away.
"It's my first time going to India so I'm excited and nervous. I'm also scared since I don't know much about the environment in Goa and the club.
"I don't even know the language. If they speak English it's alright, but what if they don't?
"I can't say how long it will take for me to adjust, but all I can say is that I want to try fit in as soon as possible. I think fitness shouldn't be a problem. I'm 90 per cent fit since DPMM FC haven't stopped training as a club.
"I'm proud that I have become the first Bruneian to play abroad but I ask myself if I will be able to compete with the Indians or not ...
"The next three months will be important," he stressed.
Finishing joint top scorer during the 2006/07 Malaysian Super League (MSL) season with 21 goals, Shahrazen also led DPMM FC in scoring during their debut S-League season in 2008/09 by bulging the net nine times.
Brunei's only professional club, DPMM FC became the first foreign team to win the Singapore League Cup in June 2009 and Shahrazen said that capturing the trophy and being named the MSL joint top scorer ranked as his most memorable moments in the sport.
The hitman has been courted by Malaysian giants Selangor and Pahang in the past, with Indonesian Super League side Persiba Balikpapan and Singapore League outfit Balestier Khalsa FC also having expressed interest in his services.
However, he denied them all, saying that the time was not right.
Though he might not know much about his new club at least he can get some pointers about the league and country from Keita Mandjou, the Guinean who tied Shahrazen in scoring during the 2006/07 MSL season and who is currently at I-League's First Division side Pune FC.
Created in the mould of Portuguese side Sporting Clube de Portugal or more commonly known as Sporting Lisbon Sporting Clube de Goa were formed in 1999.
Making their debut in the Indian National Football League Premier Division the predecessor of the I-League during the 2003/04 season, Sporting Clube de Goa have enjoyed some success in the First Division where they finished ahead of more established clubs in the country.
Shahrazen said he heard the club were looking for a striker to revive their fortunes through a Malaysian agent early last week.
Though the club have not seen Shahrazen in action, his resume impressed them enough to sign him.
Obstacles such as getting an international transfer certificate (ITC), a visa and leave from his employers he works as a storekeeper at the Department of Public Works (JKR) sorted themselves out as the week progressed.
"At first I thought I couldn't go because Brunei doesn't have a football association which is recognised internationally so it would be hard for me to get an ITC," said the hitman, referring to the document which enables a player to transfer from one club to another.
"I thought that since there was no umbrella body for Bruneian footballers I couldn't play abroad, but the agent took care of everything and I got the ITC direct from Fifa.
"DPMM FC, the Department of Youth and Sports and the JKR have been with me all the way. So I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports as well as the Ministry of Development and the Department of Civil Services for making this work out.
"Most importantly, my family has been really, really supportive especially my wife who is expecting our third child. My leave is until April 30 so I should be back before my wife is due."
Whether Shahrazen makes his mark in Goa or if his contract will be extended is for anyone to guess. But one thing is for sure his potential will never be fully realised if he stays in Brunei and hopefully his move will be the spark that local footballers need to test their luck abroad.The Brunei Times
Brunei Times
05 February 2011
Croatian Simunic's heart still yearns for Brunei
Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, February 3, 2011
FOR a few hours it seemed as if the good times were here again.
The players were hanging around laughing and cracking jokes, the management was chatting to each other, and most tellingly, Vjeran Simunic was back.
DPMM FC's former head coach is in Brunei for a week to meet up with the club officials and players during a break in play in Vietnam's football season.
Since leaving Brunei's only professional club in Oct 2009, the journeyed coach returned to his native Croatia for a short stint in charge of NK Medimurje and then took charge of Ho Chi Minh City FC a year later, the club which plays in the country's second tier Vietnam First Division.
But despite enjoying his tenure at the club which has won the top tier Vietnam League four times, Simunic insists his heart still yearns for Brunei.
"I feel the same ... Like I never left. Brunei is a country I will never forget," he said last night.
"When I left I wanted to be in this area, in Asia.
"I was very sad when I left the club because I was sure — we were all sure — we did a great job.
"We beat all the big clubs in Singapore and we were all very proud. I was hoping today we could gather the people who helped create those good results," he added.
There is hardly any local football fan that does not know what Simunic and his close knit band of players have achieved. In May 2009 they captured the Singapore League Cup after a dramatic 4-3 win in a penalty shootout against seven-time league champions Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), becoming the first foreign team to lift a trophy in Singapore football.
They were riding a wave of confidence and were poised to challenge for the Singapore League crown before the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) banned Brunei from international competitions following the suspension of Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (Bafa) by local authorities.
The suspension prevented DPMM FC from completing the rest of their 2009 campaign, a move which left Simunic and the rest of the foreign players out of jobs.
It also shattered his plans to develop the sport in the country, a job he was more than equipped to handle after guiding the national side during the qualifiers for the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup campaign in 2008.
"We wanted to build for the future. I saw how the Philippines played in the recent Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup ... We could have beat them," said Simunic.
"We have players like Shahrazen Hj Md Said and Sairol Hj Sahri who can play anywhere in the Asean region. For me, Fifa made a big, big mistake," he added.
There is no secret that Simunic is waiting for the situation to be solved and for him to return.
After all, he wants the good times back as much as anyone else.The Brunei Times
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, February 3, 2011
FOR a few hours it seemed as if the good times were here again.
The players were hanging around laughing and cracking jokes, the management was chatting to each other, and most tellingly, Vjeran Simunic was back.
DPMM FC's former head coach is in Brunei for a week to meet up with the club officials and players during a break in play in Vietnam's football season.
Since leaving Brunei's only professional club in Oct 2009, the journeyed coach returned to his native Croatia for a short stint in charge of NK Medimurje and then took charge of Ho Chi Minh City FC a year later, the club which plays in the country's second tier Vietnam First Division.
But despite enjoying his tenure at the club which has won the top tier Vietnam League four times, Simunic insists his heart still yearns for Brunei.
"I feel the same ... Like I never left. Brunei is a country I will never forget," he said last night.
"When I left I wanted to be in this area, in Asia.
"I was very sad when I left the club because I was sure — we were all sure — we did a great job.
"We beat all the big clubs in Singapore and we were all very proud. I was hoping today we could gather the people who helped create those good results," he added.
There is hardly any local football fan that does not know what Simunic and his close knit band of players have achieved. In May 2009 they captured the Singapore League Cup after a dramatic 4-3 win in a penalty shootout against seven-time league champions Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), becoming the first foreign team to lift a trophy in Singapore football.
They were riding a wave of confidence and were poised to challenge for the Singapore League crown before the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) banned Brunei from international competitions following the suspension of Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (Bafa) by local authorities.
The suspension prevented DPMM FC from completing the rest of their 2009 campaign, a move which left Simunic and the rest of the foreign players out of jobs.
It also shattered his plans to develop the sport in the country, a job he was more than equipped to handle after guiding the national side during the qualifiers for the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup campaign in 2008.
"We wanted to build for the future. I saw how the Philippines played in the recent Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup ... We could have beat them," said Simunic.
"We have players like Shahrazen Hj Md Said and Sairol Hj Sahri who can play anywhere in the Asean region. For me, Fifa made a big, big mistake," he added.
There is no secret that Simunic is waiting for the situation to be solved and for him to return.
After all, he wants the good times back as much as anyone else.The Brunei Times
29 January 2011
BPL I and II to start in March
Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) ended months of speculation and hearsay yesterday when it announced that the local football season will kick-off on March 5.
It will be a familiar sight for fans of the sport when they take to the Berakas Sports Complex at 8.15pm to watch the Champions' Cup clash between two of the Sultanate's powerhouses, QAF FC and Royal Brunei Armed Forces' Sports Council (MS ABDB).
The DST Group Brunei Premier League (BPL) I will kick-off on March 8 while the first match of the BPL II is scheduled for March 25.
The BPL I will start earlier because it is played in a home and away format, so there are more games.
The uncertainty surrounding the start of the leagues has been the talk of the local football community for many months and Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad instantly addressed the issue during a meeting attended by club representatives yesterday.
"On behalf of FFBD I want to apologise for the lateness in organising the tournaments ... But there were reasons beyond our control," said the FFBD secretary-general.
"FFBD had negotiations with sponsors in December, so you can see, there have been steps to organise the leagues that ran last year.
"As usual the curtain-raiser will be the Champions' Cup where once again QAF FC will face MS ABDB," he added during the gathering at a restaurant in Kiulap.
This time last year both leagues had already entered the second round, with QAF FC and Liang Lumut Recreation Club Football Team (LLRC FT) undefeated and leading the pack in BPL I and BPL II respectively.
QAF FC are the titleholders in the Champions' Cup after beating MS ABDB 2-0 in May 2009. They also won the BPL I and DST Group Brunei League Cup title, edging the army men in both competitions the former by two points and the latter by a 1-0 scoreline.
The 10 teams in the BPL I this season are defending champions QAF FC, MS ABDB, Majra FC, Jerudong FC, Wijaya FC, AH United, AM Gunners FC, Indera FC, Liang Lumut Recreation Club Football Team (LLRC FT) and the Prisons Department.
LLRC FT and Prisons Department were promoted from BPL II after ending the season as champions and runners-up respectively. Both teams ended the season undefeated.
The nine confirmed teams in BPL II this year are Brunei Shell Football Team, Muara Vella FC, Perkasa, Lun Bawang, Kilanas FC, Menglait FC, Brunei Youth (Under-16), Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Football Team (BIBD FT) and DST Group Football Team.
BIBD FT were formerly known as the Brunei Associations of Banks.
Last year's BPL II basement dwellers, Kota Ranger, will have to fight for their confirmation in this year's competition.
They will compete in a play-off against several teams that have applied to join the BPL II.
It is understood that the Royal Brunei Police Force are one of the interested parties.
Sheikh Nordin also assured the representatives that the other two DST Group tournaments, as well as the national age-group competitions, will be back in 2011.
"The DST Group Brunei FA Cup will be held and as usual it will be conducted in a knock-out format. We will open the competition to more non-league teams, like how they do it in England," he said.
"The DST Group Brunei League Cup will also be contested.
"The National Under-14 and Under-16 leagues will continue. The plan is for the Under-16 league to start before the Under-14 league, probably at the same time as the BPL I in March," he added.
Plans for similar leagues at the Under-10 and Under-12 age groups were also revealed, though the secretary-general said there was no guarantee they would get off the ground this year.
He also talked about the possibility of setting up a futsal league late in the year after the conclusion of the four DST Group BPL tournaments to give footballers year-long competition.
The issue of having imports for this season was also raised, and though nothing was set in stone, Sheikh Nordin said that it was his personal opinion it would not be a wise decision since not all teams could afford foreign players.
The uncertainty surrounding Brunei's status in world football might also make it hard for players to get international transfer certificates (ITC) to play in the Sultanate since the FFBD is not recognised internationally.The Brunei Times ..
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) ended months of speculation and hearsay yesterday when it announced that the local football season will kick-off on March 5.
It will be a familiar sight for fans of the sport when they take to the Berakas Sports Complex at 8.15pm to watch the Champions' Cup clash between two of the Sultanate's powerhouses, QAF FC and Royal Brunei Armed Forces' Sports Council (MS ABDB).
The DST Group Brunei Premier League (BPL) I will kick-off on March 8 while the first match of the BPL II is scheduled for March 25.
The BPL I will start earlier because it is played in a home and away format, so there are more games.
The uncertainty surrounding the start of the leagues has been the talk of the local football community for many months and Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad instantly addressed the issue during a meeting attended by club representatives yesterday.
"On behalf of FFBD I want to apologise for the lateness in organising the tournaments ... But there were reasons beyond our control," said the FFBD secretary-general.
"FFBD had negotiations with sponsors in December, so you can see, there have been steps to organise the leagues that ran last year.
"As usual the curtain-raiser will be the Champions' Cup where once again QAF FC will face MS ABDB," he added during the gathering at a restaurant in Kiulap.
This time last year both leagues had already entered the second round, with QAF FC and Liang Lumut Recreation Club Football Team (LLRC FT) undefeated and leading the pack in BPL I and BPL II respectively.
QAF FC are the titleholders in the Champions' Cup after beating MS ABDB 2-0 in May 2009. They also won the BPL I and DST Group Brunei League Cup title, edging the army men in both competitions the former by two points and the latter by a 1-0 scoreline.
The 10 teams in the BPL I this season are defending champions QAF FC, MS ABDB, Majra FC, Jerudong FC, Wijaya FC, AH United, AM Gunners FC, Indera FC, Liang Lumut Recreation Club Football Team (LLRC FT) and the Prisons Department.
LLRC FT and Prisons Department were promoted from BPL II after ending the season as champions and runners-up respectively. Both teams ended the season undefeated.
The nine confirmed teams in BPL II this year are Brunei Shell Football Team, Muara Vella FC, Perkasa, Lun Bawang, Kilanas FC, Menglait FC, Brunei Youth (Under-16), Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Football Team (BIBD FT) and DST Group Football Team.
BIBD FT were formerly known as the Brunei Associations of Banks.
Last year's BPL II basement dwellers, Kota Ranger, will have to fight for their confirmation in this year's competition.
They will compete in a play-off against several teams that have applied to join the BPL II.
It is understood that the Royal Brunei Police Force are one of the interested parties.
Sheikh Nordin also assured the representatives that the other two DST Group tournaments, as well as the national age-group competitions, will be back in 2011.
"The DST Group Brunei FA Cup will be held and as usual it will be conducted in a knock-out format. We will open the competition to more non-league teams, like how they do it in England," he said.
"The DST Group Brunei League Cup will also be contested.
"The National Under-14 and Under-16 leagues will continue. The plan is for the Under-16 league to start before the Under-14 league, probably at the same time as the BPL I in March," he added.
Plans for similar leagues at the Under-10 and Under-12 age groups were also revealed, though the secretary-general said there was no guarantee they would get off the ground this year.
He also talked about the possibility of setting up a futsal league late in the year after the conclusion of the four DST Group BPL tournaments to give footballers year-long competition.
The issue of having imports for this season was also raised, and though nothing was set in stone, Sheikh Nordin said that it was his personal opinion it would not be a wise decision since not all teams could afford foreign players.
The uncertainty surrounding Brunei's status in world football might also make it hard for players to get international transfer certificates (ITC) to play in the Sultanate since the FFBD is not recognised internationally.The Brunei Times ..
12 January 2011
'Bafa will not be reinstated'
FFBD 'officially' football's governing body in Brunei
Federation must now get Fifa's recognition
A NEW year, a new era for the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD), whose status as the sport's governing body in Brunei was made official recently.
"First and foremost, there had been a lot of uncertainties with regard to FFBD's status as the national body of football taking into account Fifa's (International Federation of Association Football) requirement for Bafa (the now deregistered Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) to be reinstated," said FFBD secretary-general Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad (pic) during an interview with The Brunei Times to discuss the future of the Brunei Premier League (BPL) yesterday.
"Finally some time in December, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah called a meeting with all FFBD affiliates and Brunei football stakeholders to announce that His Majesty's Government will not reinstate Bafa," added Sheikh Nordin, who was not present during the meeting which was held at the Conference Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas, due to work commitments.
With the uncertainties now cleared, the FFBD which came into existence in January 2009 is now free to move forward.
"It's good news for football generally because the uncertainty about the status of FFBD, and in general Brunei football, is gone but the problem of getting recognition (from Fifa) remains.
"However, at least, the FFBD can now start planning for the new season (2011 season)," added the FFBD secretary-general.
At the conclusion of the Fifa Executive Committee meeting last June, the committee agreed to recommend to the 60th Fifa Congress, which was held in Johannesburg on June 10, the suspension of Bafa instead of an expulsion as agreed during the previous meeting on March 19 in Zurich.
The decision was reached after taking into account that no major progress had been made since Bafa was suspended in September 2009.
Brunei's fate was then sealed when the highest authority for global football confirmed that Bafa would remain suspended until June 2011, when the next Fifa Executive Committee meeting is due to be held and the Bafa issue is expected to be re-discussed.
Judging by the decision to not reinstate Bafa, the Sultanate is taking the second alternative to remain a part of the global football community, which was listed by Fifa last year.
The first option is the re-registration of Bafa by the local authorities and the second is for a new body to officially apply and be recognised by Fifa.
"The application for a new body (to be recognised by Fifa) can come only after the first body has been expelled," said Thierry Regenass, Fifa's director of member associations, in an email to The Brunei Times on April 2.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in March "guided" Brunei on the steps to be taken if the country were to take the second option.
The AFC Director of Communications and Media, Sean Tohidi, told The Brunei Times then that "the second option is that a new organising body will need to officially apply to Fifa and AFC. Once it has been accepted as a 'provisional member' it will have no voting rights for at least two years.
"Traditionally, the application is first accepted by Fifa and then considered by AFC, but the application can be submitted simultaneously," he added.
The FFBD still has a lot of work to do before Brunei could be back in international football. But Sheikh Nordin hopes that Fifa would take into consideration the federation's hard work in developing football in Brunei, especially at the grassroots level via the Under-16, U-14 and other local leagues and recognise it as the sport's governing body in the Sultanate.The Brunei Times
Federation must now get Fifa's recognition
A NEW year, a new era for the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD), whose status as the sport's governing body in Brunei was made official recently.
"First and foremost, there had been a lot of uncertainties with regard to FFBD's status as the national body of football taking into account Fifa's (International Federation of Association Football) requirement for Bafa (the now deregistered Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) to be reinstated," said FFBD secretary-general Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad (pic) during an interview with The Brunei Times to discuss the future of the Brunei Premier League (BPL) yesterday.
"Finally some time in December, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah called a meeting with all FFBD affiliates and Brunei football stakeholders to announce that His Majesty's Government will not reinstate Bafa," added Sheikh Nordin, who was not present during the meeting which was held at the Conference Room of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas, due to work commitments.
With the uncertainties now cleared, the FFBD which came into existence in January 2009 is now free to move forward.
"It's good news for football generally because the uncertainty about the status of FFBD, and in general Brunei football, is gone but the problem of getting recognition (from Fifa) remains.
"However, at least, the FFBD can now start planning for the new season (2011 season)," added the FFBD secretary-general.
At the conclusion of the Fifa Executive Committee meeting last June, the committee agreed to recommend to the 60th Fifa Congress, which was held in Johannesburg on June 10, the suspension of Bafa instead of an expulsion as agreed during the previous meeting on March 19 in Zurich.
The decision was reached after taking into account that no major progress had been made since Bafa was suspended in September 2009.
Brunei's fate was then sealed when the highest authority for global football confirmed that Bafa would remain suspended until June 2011, when the next Fifa Executive Committee meeting is due to be held and the Bafa issue is expected to be re-discussed.
Judging by the decision to not reinstate Bafa, the Sultanate is taking the second alternative to remain a part of the global football community, which was listed by Fifa last year.
The first option is the re-registration of Bafa by the local authorities and the second is for a new body to officially apply and be recognised by Fifa.
"The application for a new body (to be recognised by Fifa) can come only after the first body has been expelled," said Thierry Regenass, Fifa's director of member associations, in an email to The Brunei Times on April 2.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in March "guided" Brunei on the steps to be taken if the country were to take the second option.
The AFC Director of Communications and Media, Sean Tohidi, told The Brunei Times then that "the second option is that a new organising body will need to officially apply to Fifa and AFC. Once it has been accepted as a 'provisional member' it will have no voting rights for at least two years.
"Traditionally, the application is first accepted by Fifa and then considered by AFC, but the application can be submitted simultaneously," he added.
The FFBD still has a lot of work to do before Brunei could be back in international football. But Sheikh Nordin hopes that Fifa would take into consideration the federation's hard work in developing football in Brunei, especially at the grassroots level via the Under-16, U-14 and other local leagues and recognise it as the sport's governing body in the Sultanate.The Brunei Times
Nat'l Futsal League planned
FFBD also looking at U-10, U-12 leagues
A NATIONAL Futsal League (NFL) will be one of three new leagues the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) intends to kick off this year.
Football's authority in the country is not taking its "newly-acquired" position lightly and to prove the point Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad yesterday explained the federation's plans for 2011 to The Brunei Times.
"In addition to the Brunei Premier League, it's time we set up an NFL. Various futsal tournaments have been organised in Brunei so it's time we have a proper league," said the FFBD secretary-general during the interview.
The FFBD's plan to set up the league is not new. Originally scheduled for late last year, the federation was forced to postpone it due to the uncertainty regarding its status as the nation's official governing body of football.
However, with the uncertainty now removed, the federation can proceed with its plan which is still in the preliminary stage.
"It's still in the early stage but the initial paperwork has already been done. We also need to secure a sponsor," said Sheikh Nordin.
"We have already asked our people to enquire about the availability of the Multipurpose Hall or the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas," he added.
Besides the venue, the FFBD has also sorted a timeframe for when the league will commence.
"It will be a three-month league and we are planning to hold it during the wet season of November or December, at the end of the year when most of the pitches are wet. It will work out if we start the Brunei Premier League (BPL) in March because then the BPL should be over before puasa (Ramadan).
"So after Hari Raya, we can start concentrating on the futsal league," said Sheikh Nordin.
Though the NFL is scheduled to take place in the BPL off-season, Sheikh Nordin wants the league to be considered as a separate entity and, thus, players are not allowed to play in both leagues.
"In my personal view, which is also shared by the other committee members, those who play in the NFL cannot play in the BPL. This is the only way to increase the number of players in the country and exposure, so we become more specialised. Of course, this is still subject to the participating teams," he said.
"In terms of logistic, say the futsal league was to clash with the BPL, then which one should take priority? By having this rule in place, then you don't have to worry about such a problem," added the FFBD secretary-general.
Since the finer details have not been outlined, Sheikh Nordin also said it was too early to put an estimate to the number of teams that would participate in the inaugural league.
"As for now I cannot confirm the number of teams to contest in the league yet. There has to be a selection process because there are a lot of futsal teams in the country. We already have a committee that will do this," said Sheikh Nordin.
The NFL is only the tip of the iceberg. The FFBD is also setting its sights on further expanding its development of grassroots football.
"It is important that we build up our grassroots football, to create interest among kids and improve their skills. We already have the Under-14 and U-16 national leagues and now we're starting to go into the U-10 and U-12 age groups. We want to start organising a proper league for them which will add to or complement their school tournaments in cooperation with the Department of Co-Curriculum Education (DCCE) of the Ministry of Education," said Sheikh Nordin.
"For example in South Korea, they already have a national league for the U-10 and U-12 age groups. This is something which we should aspire to follow. We have good relations with the DCCE so we should seize this opportunity as they have been very supportive, which is why we were able to use school venues for our age-group leagues," added the FFBD secretary-general.
If the proposed plans do bear fruit the FFBD will be looking at a very busy year, with the federation also set to host the U-14 National League, U-16 National League and the two tiers of the BPL.The Brunei Times ..
A NATIONAL Futsal League (NFL) will be one of three new leagues the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) intends to kick off this year.
Football's authority in the country is not taking its "newly-acquired" position lightly and to prove the point Sheikh Nordin Sheikh Mohamad yesterday explained the federation's plans for 2011 to The Brunei Times.
"In addition to the Brunei Premier League, it's time we set up an NFL. Various futsal tournaments have been organised in Brunei so it's time we have a proper league," said the FFBD secretary-general during the interview.
The FFBD's plan to set up the league is not new. Originally scheduled for late last year, the federation was forced to postpone it due to the uncertainty regarding its status as the nation's official governing body of football.
However, with the uncertainty now removed, the federation can proceed with its plan which is still in the preliminary stage.
"It's still in the early stage but the initial paperwork has already been done. We also need to secure a sponsor," said Sheikh Nordin.
"We have already asked our people to enquire about the availability of the Multipurpose Hall or the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas," he added.
Besides the venue, the FFBD has also sorted a timeframe for when the league will commence.
"It will be a three-month league and we are planning to hold it during the wet season of November or December, at the end of the year when most of the pitches are wet. It will work out if we start the Brunei Premier League (BPL) in March because then the BPL should be over before puasa (Ramadan).
"So after Hari Raya, we can start concentrating on the futsal league," said Sheikh Nordin.
Though the NFL is scheduled to take place in the BPL off-season, Sheikh Nordin wants the league to be considered as a separate entity and, thus, players are not allowed to play in both leagues.
"In my personal view, which is also shared by the other committee members, those who play in the NFL cannot play in the BPL. This is the only way to increase the number of players in the country and exposure, so we become more specialised. Of course, this is still subject to the participating teams," he said.
"In terms of logistic, say the futsal league was to clash with the BPL, then which one should take priority? By having this rule in place, then you don't have to worry about such a problem," added the FFBD secretary-general.
Since the finer details have not been outlined, Sheikh Nordin also said it was too early to put an estimate to the number of teams that would participate in the inaugural league.
"As for now I cannot confirm the number of teams to contest in the league yet. There has to be a selection process because there are a lot of futsal teams in the country. We already have a committee that will do this," said Sheikh Nordin.
The NFL is only the tip of the iceberg. The FFBD is also setting its sights on further expanding its development of grassroots football.
"It is important that we build up our grassroots football, to create interest among kids and improve their skills. We already have the Under-14 and U-16 national leagues and now we're starting to go into the U-10 and U-12 age groups. We want to start organising a proper league for them which will add to or complement their school tournaments in cooperation with the Department of Co-Curriculum Education (DCCE) of the Ministry of Education," said Sheikh Nordin.
"For example in South Korea, they already have a national league for the U-10 and U-12 age groups. This is something which we should aspire to follow. We have good relations with the DCCE so we should seize this opportunity as they have been very supportive, which is why we were able to use school venues for our age-group leagues," added the FFBD secretary-general.
If the proposed plans do bear fruit the FFBD will be looking at a very busy year, with the federation also set to host the U-14 National League, U-16 National League and the two tiers of the BPL.The Brunei Times ..
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