Brunei Darussalam’s senior football team will take on Sabah FC in a friendly match on Wednesday (September 6) at the Track and Field in preparation for the World Cup qualifier in October.
Brunei head coach Mario Rivera said, “I would like to ask the fans to come and support the team. It’s the first game in Brunei this year. Players are excited to play before the fans and are ready to show how they can compete. Hopefully the fans will be proud of the team’s performance. We will fight and I am confident that the Brunei team will give 100 per cent in the match.”
He noted that the team will be playing with a full squad in the friendly game.
Rivera called up 30 players two months ago and trained with 21 players on Tuesday.
On the opponents, Mario Rivera said, “Sabah FC is one of the best teams in Malaysia. It will be a good game for us to test our strength against a team that has very good local and foreign players. I hope they will play their best level so that we can also be on our best to improve our level. I saw some of their games not only this year but also a few years ago. I am impressed with their level of professionalism.”
Meanwhile, Sabah FC’s assistant coach Rastislav Bozik hoped his team can maintain their fitness and rhythm of play.
“Sabah FC’s preparation is normal. We work on a regular basis as a football club. There are several players who are with the national squad (Malaysia) therefore there are more chances for other players to shine”, he said.
Sabah FC captain Khairul Fahmi said the friendly will be an invaluable preparation for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation Cup.
The friendly match is set to kick off at 8.15pm. Tickets are available at the venue from 1pm. – James Kon
