Brunei Darussalam’s stand-in national head coach Rui Capela Batista has left a strong legacy following back-to-back victories over Sri Lanka in international friendly matches at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
The Portuguese coach is expected to step down from his role with the national team and return to his initial position as the head coach of Brunei-based professional club DPMM FC.
Batista’s brief tenure with the national team has been marked by a perfect track record, guiding the Wasps to their third consecutive victory for the first time in history.
During a post-match press conference on Tuesday, Batista expressed his gratitude to the players, stating, “The players gave their best. I’m very grateful for them as they did a fantastic job.” Reflecting on his future, he added, “In the future, I don’t know about managing the national team, but my project is with DPMM FC.”
Brunei’s team captain, Muhammad Azwan bin Ali Rahman, moved closer to becoming the national team’s all-time leading goal scorer after netting his seventh international goal. The DPMM FC star, who is now just one goal behind record goal-scorer Shahrazen Said, said, “Maybe, I’ll be able to break the record.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka head coach Andy Morrison lamented his side’s lack of finishing but acknowledged their lack of playing time. “We changed the shape today and tried to cause them problems. At the very least, both games should be nil-nil,” Morrison said.
He praised Brunei’s defense, noting, “They defended resolutely and are very brave. They got their bodies on the line.”
Morrison explained that his team’s lack of competitive football over the past two and a half years had taken its toll. “We were shooting from 40 yards when they were down to 10 men. They made crazy decisions and, for me, it is a lack of football, a lack of playing and understanding of the game.”
Reflecting on the match, he said, “At this time of the year, most teams are 12-15 games into the season and play football regularly. We haven’t played football for two and a half years. It showed many times tonight that we don’t play football enough to create a little bit of magic that opens it up. I’m delighted with the performance and game plan, but I’m so disappointed with the end product.”- FADHIL YUNUS
