The Brunei Darussalam national football team sealed their passage to the final round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2027 qualification following a 4-0 aggregate win against Macau in the playoff round at the Macau Olympic Stadium in Taipa on Tuesday night.
The Wasps won 1-0 in the reverse leg having established a healthy 3-0 lead from their triumph at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last Friday.
The national team also rewrote the record books following a fifth successive victory, with the last four ending with a clean sheet in yet another first for interim head coach Jamie McAllister’s charges.
Brunei extended their lead even further after Azwan Ali Rahman tapped the ball home following a rebound from Hakeme Yazid Said’s firm header towards goal.
The team captain’s solitary goal marked a significant moment after equaling former teammate Shahrazen Said for the all-time goalscorer record with his eighth international goal.
The Wasps will join the 21 confirmed teams in the third and final qualifying round which is slated to com-mence in March next year.
The six group winners from the last phase of qualifying will advance to the finals in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
Brunei, with Jamie McAllister impressing in his stint as the interim head coach, will now turn their focus in the ASEAN Championship qualifying with a two-legged tie against Timor Leste next month. – FADHIL YUNUS
