Wijaya bounce back to hold Lun Bawang

bandar seri begawan

Sunday, October 25, 2015

WIJAYA FC came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Lun Bawang in the DST Super League at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Amir Bujang netted in the 21st and 30th minutes to give Lun Bawang a two-goal cushion heading into halftime.

Ak Anaqi Sufi Pg Hj Omar Baki grabbed one back in the 56th minute before Khalil Saab equalised four minutes later to see both teams share the spoils.
The matchup between the Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council (MS PDB) and Jerudong FC at the Tutong Sports Complex was halted in the 66th minute due to inclement weather.

The Brunei Times

DPMM FC open up six-point lead

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 24, 2015

DPMM FC produced a clean sweep of Harimau Muda (Malaysian national Under-22 football team) in the Singapore League (S-League) after a 2-0 victory to go six points clear at the top of the standings last night.
The Brunei side are now on 46 points with four games remaining. Second placed Balestier Khalsa FC are on 40 points while Tampines Rovers FC are a further three points back but with two games in hand.
Goals from Brian McLean and Rafael Ramazotti (pic) in the first half sealed the win at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca.
For Ramazotti, it was the third straight S-League game the Brazilian has netted and he is firmly atop the S-League goal scoring charts with 18 goals in his debut season with the club - with second-placed Fazrul Nawaz of Warriors FC on 15.
According to the S-League’s Twitter feed, DPMM FC came out aggressively and in the second minute Maududi Hilmi Kasmi raced towards goal but produced a weak shot - resulting in an easy save for Harimau Muda custodian Farhan Abu Bakar.
Azwan Ali Rahman tried one from distance three minutes later but his attempt was saved by Farhan. They got another opportunity in the eighth minute with Paulo Sergio through on goal but the Portuguese forward blasted his attempt over.
DPMM FC were given a let off in the 19th minute with Adam Nor heading Syazwan Andik’s free-kick, only to watch it crash off the bar. The visitors broke the deadlock on the half hour mark after McLean headed home Azwan Ali’s free-kick.
DPMM FC doubled their lead just six minutes later after Farhan gave the ball away to Ramazotti to smash home.
Sergio tried to curl one in off a set piece in the 44th minute but Farhan punched clear.
Harimau Muda almost pulled one back four minutes after the interval through skipper Amirul Hisyam but his long range attempt was denied by the post.
It nearly ricocheted back into goal, but DPMM FC shotstopper Wardun Yussof got hold of it.
DPMM FC had a chance to add to the scoreline off a counter attack in the 58th minute but Maududi’s shot was saved by Farhan.
Adam attempted a dipping shot from 30 yards out in the 63rd minute but it was tipped over by Wardun.
Sergio and Ramazotti played a quick one-two in the 79th minute for the former to shoot at goal but Farhan denied him.
Harimau Muda were reduced to 10 men after Amirul Hisyam picked up his second yellow card in stoppage time for a tackle on DPMM FC captain Rosmin Hj Md Kamis, who was forced to be substituted after the challenge.
Meanwhile, last night’s other match between Geylang International FC and Hougang United FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore was cancelled due to haze.

The Brunei Times

Brunei to face Cambodia in Nov 3 friendly

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 24, 2015

THE national football team have been invited to play a friendly match against Cambodia on November 3.
“It’s during the FIFA calendar for international friendlies and Cambodia invited us for a friendly as part of their preparations for their remaining matches in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers,” NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) general secretary Hj Muhd Zamri Dato Paduka Hj Hamdani told The Brunei Times on Thursday.
Cambodia are currently at the bottom of Group E in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup qualifiers after going winless in five matches and are already out of contention to make it into the next round.
Their latest setback was a 2-1 loss at the hands of Singapore on Oct 13 at the Singapore National Stadium.
Their next match will be against Afghanistan on Nov 12 before hosting Japan five days later. They will close out the group against current leaders Syria on March 24 next year.
Brunei - who will be coached by NFABD Technical Director Mike Wong Mun Heng - are currently ranked 187th in the world while Cambodia are one position higher.
The Wasps last saw action in a friendly match against Singapore on June 6 when they lost 5-1 at the Jurong East Stadium in Singapore.
The Sultanate’s road to Russia ended in the first round of qualifiers in March after a 2-1 loss on aggregate to Chinese Taipei.

The Brunei Times

MS ABDB champions

Nadzirah Malek-Webb

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 24, 2015



MS ABDB celebrate winning the DST Super League at the Tutong Sports Complex last night. Picture: BT/Nadzirah Malek-Webb

THE Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB) clinched the DST Super League title for the first time after crushing bottom dweller Kilanas FC 6-1 at the Tutong Sports Complex last night.
With 45 points, the army men have an insurmountable 13-point lead over two-time defending champions Indera Sports Club – who are second with 32 points. MS ABDB have two games left and Indera four, with both teams facing each other in the season-ender on Nov 16.
Taking a 1-1 lead at the break, the army men came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and Kilanas could find no reply.
When interviewed by The Brunei Times, MS ABDB’s interim manager Major (A) Razanol Hardi Abd Razak refused to accept credit for the win, instead saying he was just carrying the team that was built by MS ABDB manager Major (A) Pg Md Farisan Pg Hj Metassan - who last month left for a one-year stay in Mindanao, Philippines, with the International Monitoring Team (IMT).
“Kudos to Kilanas FC for giving us a very tough game, especially in the first half. They definitely kept their promise by giving us a good challenge,” said Major (A) Razanol.
“Major Pg Farisan gave me a fantastic team to manage, so most of the credit should go to him.
“At the end of the day, it’s the players who worked hard the most - and they have done fantastically! We won this title and it’s all about the teamwork we have.
“We have two more games to go, and of course, we want to conclude the season with a bang.”

The Brunei Times

Indera admit title race is over

Nadzirah Malek-Webb

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, October 22, 2015

TWO-time DST Super League defending champions Indera Sports Club (SC) have thrown in the towel in their bid to retain their crown despite their 4-0 win over Najip I-Team on Tuesday night.
Indera SC moved up to second with 32 points but are still 10 points behind leaders the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB) with four games remaining, with Najip I-Team now dropping down to third with 30 points.
The army men – who have three games remaining – sit on top of the 10-team table with 42 points, and a win against Kilanas FC at the Tutong Sports Complex tomorrow will seal their first DST Super League title.
Indera head coach Hj Omar Hj Jamil said that their chances of catching up with the army men look to beyond their reach, instead saying that a runners-up position seems more likely.
“I have to be realistic this time," Hj Omar told The Brunei Times yesterday.
“I know I said last week that we will not give up. We are not, but giving up and being realistic is different.
“We showed in our previous games - when we were down 3-1, we came back to win 4-3 - that we will keep on fighting until the end.
“That’s our motto. However, MS ABDB are very strong and consistent in their form, and it’s hard to catch up to them. It’s not easy to defend the title, it’s even harder to win it again (this season).
“They just need one more win and the title is theirs.
“They’re up against Kilanas on Friday and I don’t think they will drop points. However, this is football and anything can happen,” he added.
Hj Omar went on to state that their goalkeeper crisis in the first round of the season hindered their title defence.
“We suffered two goalkeeper injuries that cost us a lot of points in the first round of this season,” said the coach.
“Md Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof and Ak Omar Nur Aqamaddin were our first two choices, and when they both got injured, that really hit us hard.
“We recruited Mohammad Bakhtiar Hj Mohd Hussin and Mohammad Ahsanuddin Hj Mohd Dani last month and it has improved our goalkeeping issues, but I fear it may not be enough.
“Ahsanuddin is our first choice and he’s doing a fantastic job, but we need to change our tactics for next season.
“It's too early to think about that now since we have four games left, and we will give our all.
“We want to push for the DST FA Cup as we have not won that yet. We have a lot of work to do and we have to consider all of our games as finals.
“Our next game is against Tabuan Muda (the national Under-23 team) on Sunday. It won’t be an easy match so we need to focus on that.”

The Brunei Times

Big win for MS PDB

Nadzirah Malek-Webb

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 17, 2015

THE Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council (MS PDB) won their first-ever afternoon DST Super League match after a 6-0 thumping of IKLS FC at the Berakas Sports Complex yesterday – their biggest win in this season’s league.
MS PDB's win sees them remain seventh in the 10-team league with 16 points from 15 games, a point adrift of Jerudong FC – who are sixth with 17 points from 13 games.
IKLS, meanwhile, are eighth in the table with nine points from 14 games.
MS PDB head coach Sgt Sahrin Mohmad Jaya highlighted that playing in the afternoon contributed to their big win as they are used to similar conditions during training.
“This was our first afternoon match since we joined the DST Super League, and we won big. Our players trained everyday during the day, we never train at night,” he said.
“We were excited when we found out that we were going to play in the afternoon, and surely enough, we won 6-0 - our biggest win so far,” he added.
MS PDB broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with PC Muhd Zul Khairee Hj Mohd Salleh after he chipped the ball over IKLS FC’s goalkeeper Md Amirul Akim Bini.
MS PDB found their momentum after the first goal, and had a header into the net from APO Mohd Bohari Mohammad Hasan in the 14th minute after a cross from PC Mohamad Fazizzul Hussin ruled offside.
However, MS PDB extended their lead to 2-0 in first half stoppage time after PC Zulhamzi Hj Awang scored after a cross from APO Mohd Bohari.
The second half saw a more confident IKLS FC defend well until MS PDB’s APO Mohd Syarafuddin Hamdi Hj Talip bag the third goal for the policemen in the 69th minute.
An IKLS FC comeback was extinguished when MS PDB’s APO Mohd Syarafuddin scored his second goal of the day in the 78th minute after an assist from PC Mohd Zul Khaire Hj Mohd Salleh.
PC Muhd Zul Khairee scored his second in the 84th minute after a solo run into the box which left Md Amirul Akim no chance.
IKLS FC’s relegation fears were apparent after a careless challenge inside the box from defender Ak Ammar Syafie Pg Hassanudin on MS PDB’s PC Zulhamzi earned the policemen a penalty, and MS PDB’s goalkeeper APO Pg Mohd Muizzuddin Pg Ismail made it on the scoresheet by taking the penalty just before the whistle blew.
Sgt Sahrin applauded IKLS FC for giving them a challenge and said he is now focused on getting his team to finish at least sixth.
The DST Super League will continue tomorrow with three games at 4pm.

The Brunei Times

Sergio boost for DPMM FC

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, October 17, 2015

PAULO Sergio has been cleared to play when leaders DPMM FC face off against Home United FC in the Singapore League (S-League) at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas at 8.15pm tonight.
The Portuguese forward has been bogged down by a recurring hamstring injury which he suffered in August and had to be substituted at half-time in the first leg of the Singapore Cup semi-final against Home on Oct 2.
DPMM FC coach Steve Kean is glad to have Sergio, who found the back of the net four times in the past six games in all competitions, back in the lineup ahead of the match against the Protectors.
“All credit to him (Sergio) and especially the medical staff who have worked very hard over the past 10 days to get his hamstring recovered,” said Kean in an interview with The Brunei Times after a training session yesterday at the Jerudong Mini Stadium.
“He is at 100 per cent but he might not be able to play the whole game as he will need to be careful near the end. He is looking sharp and it’s always good to have him back.
“What he brings is real energy in the front line and it is where we start to defend from. He always puts the defenders under pressure and makes them rush the passes,” he added.
“When we get the ball, he is so dynamic and explosive to cause problems in behind the defence. It is definitely nice to have him back on the pitch and he is the main provider for Rafa(Rafael Ramazotti),” continued the Scotsman.
DPMM FC, who are on 39 points from 20 games, only have a two-point gap but two games in hand from second placed Balestier Khalsa FC after Robert Pericic netted in the 87th minute to give the Tigers a 1-0 victory over Albirex Niigata (S) FC last night at the Toa Payoh Stadium.
It will not be an easy task against Home as the last two S-League encounters this season ended with both teams sharing the spoils – a 2-2 draw at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on March 21 followed by a 0-0 stalemate at the Yishun Stadium on July 22.
DPMM FC did get the better of the Protectors with a 3-2 result at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Oct 2, ending a 10-game unbeaten run for the Protectors in all competitions dating back to June 22.
However, Home dominated ball possession and had the bulk of the chances in the match – something that is uncommon for DPMM FC.
“We have to make sure we get more possession. In the previous game we surrendered possession quite easily,” said Kean.
“We didn’t hold on the ball like our normal quality. We were trying to force the game a little bit we were trying to get in with one pass. Against a team like Home you need to secure the first few passes then push them back.
“Psychologically, playing at home we want to get the ball and get the crowd behind us,” added the former Blackburn Rovers manager.
“Home are a good side on the counter attack but our defending, as a team not just the defensive unit, has been very good.
“It isn’t something we focused too much on and we try to be us who will have the ball more.
“We will work really hard to get it back high up the pitch,” continued Kean.
On the other hand, Home are in sixth position and 13 points away from the leaders.
Home coach Philippe Aw is glad to be playing the Brunei side once again so soon and is looking to prevent them from running away further at the top of the table.
“In a way, it’s good we are playing them again so fast,” he told DPMM FC Matchday Magazine. “The team are all very disappointed as we knew that was a game we should not have lost because of our performance. The boys know it.
“So it’s good that we’re playing DPMM FC again.
“They are trying to run away with the league but we’re not giving up on it and we’re going to Brunei to grab three points,” he added.
The Protectors will be without the suspended Sirina Camara for the encounter.
Meanwhile, Warriors FC watched their chance on retaining the title take a hit after slipping to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Young Lions (Singapore national under-23 football team) at the Jalan Besar Stadium lat night.
The other match saw Harimau Muda (Malaysia national under-22 football team) defeat Geylang International FC 2-0 at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca.

The Brunei Times