Fadhil Yunus
Brunei Darussalam under-16, under-19 and under-23 football teams have begun preparations ahead of upcoming major competitions sanctioned by the Asean Football Federation (AFF) for the respective age groups this year.
Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah has been selected in the national under-16 team.
Also making the squad are Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak ‘Abdul Haseeb bin Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim and Pengiran Anak ‘Abdul Muta’ali Haziq Hamidullah bin Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul ‘Ali Yil-Kabier.
The under-16 team recently held their first fitness training session at the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD) gymnasium.
The young Wasps, who have been scheduled to take part in the upcoming AFF Under-16 Boys Championship in Indonesia by the end of July, is currently being trained by a coaching team led by head coach Hazmin Hatta bin Haji Hamzah.
Meanwhile, the under-23 national team had ramped up preparations ahead of the upcoming AFF Under-23 Football Championship in Cambodia next week (February 14).
The under-23 team had been training virtually for months since August 2021 amid the second wave of COVID-19 infections in the country.
As the Sultanate entered an endemic phase, however, the team has now been allowed to train in compliance with proper standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Training has involved a number of players from various clubs including DPMM FC, Kasuka FC, Kota Ranger FC, Indera SC, Wijaya FC, BSRC FC, MS ABDB, Panchor Murai FC, KB FC, BIBD and Ar-Rawda.
The under-23 team, which are expected to make their debut appearance in the regional competition, have been drawn in the same group as Cambodia, Timor Leste and Philippines.
Brunei’s regional rivals are also at the height of preparations as they geared towards the much-anticipated tournament.
Besides conducting routine team training sessions, the Malaysian under-23 team held a friendly match against Sabah FC at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu.
Similarly, the Vietnam under-23 team warmed up with a test match against Hanoi FC while the Cambodia under-23 national team had been fine-tuning their preparations at the new Morodok Techo National Stadium.
