Fadhil Yunus
Brunei Darussalam slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Hougang United in the Singapore Premier League 2023 at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Wednesday.
A hat-trick from Amy Recha for the visitors did the damage as Hakeme Yazid Said‘s brace late in the second half appeared to be in vain for the Bruneians.
DPMM FC new goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski made his debut since joining the club earlier this month.
The Cheetahs missed an opportunity to take the lead in the 17th minute after Gabriel Quak smashed against the crossbar from point blank range following a delightful cross from Jordan Vestering.
Hougang forward Amy Recha broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute with a delightful strike past Brunei’s latest signing after teammate Zulfahmi Arifin provided a peach of a pass to the box.
The former Geylang International man got his second of the game six minutes later after turning home the rebound following an initial shot from Kristijan Krajcek. Recha completed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute with a fine finish following a perfect cross from Krajcek.
The Gegar Gegar men pulled one back as Hakeme Yazid’s ferocious free-kick from distance was seemingly too hot for Hougang goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam to handle.
The designated hosts were awarded a penalty deep into injury time after a Hougang defender was adjudged to make contact with substitute Razimie Ramlli following a VAR review.
There was no deserving candidate for a penalty taker as Hakeme Yazid who started the attack hit home from the spot.
The Brunei outfit will try to reverse their form when they meet league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) this Sunday.
