The national football team is prepared to take on Sri Lanka in a Tier 1 international friendly match at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium tonight and on June 11.
“We don’t have much time to prepare the game but we did very well. We can see that the players are ready for the match,” said stand-in national head coach Rui Capela Batista yesterday during a press conference.
He added, “We expect a tough game because the Sri Lankan team has good players and an experienced coach.”
Batista, who will take charge of the national team for the first time, also explained that his full focus will be firmly on the two matches amid uncertainty over the immediate future in his new role.
His opposite number Andy Morrison said, “The preparations have gone well. From the last few months, we’ve got players missing but they have come in and it would be an opportunity for them to show what they are all about.”
The Scotsman added, “We have big games coming up in September against Cambodia so this is an opportunity for the players in these friendly matches to make an impression.”
The South Asian side has seen its suspension lifted by FIFA last August and will be raring to go against an opponent 10 places above them.
Andy said, “It’s international football and we’ve come a long way over a short period of time.” “There’s been no domestic football for two-and-half years now and we had our troubles with the suspension. It will be a challenge for us in relations to the countries above our rankings.” The hosts will look to record consecutive wins at the back of their 3-2 victory against Vanuatu last March while the visitors are on a three-game unbeaten run. – Fadhil Yunus
