The Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD) announced this week that the country will host a series of international friendly matches to re-establish football activities after a hiatus caused by the pandemic.
Borneo Bulletin reports that the series of international matches will begin with the national under-20 team playing against the Sarawak under-20 team, while Brunei’s national A team are expected to play friendly matches against Laos and Maldives next month.
The first match between Brunei and Sarawak (Malaysia) under-20 teams will be held at the FABD Artificial Football Field on 28 August.
Pengiran Haji Matusin bin Pengiran Haji Matasan, President of FABD, said “After almost three years, FABD has not seen any international football match in Brunei Darussalam.”
Brunei’s football association will be the first to hold international matches that will be staged at the artificial football field, which has been certified to host international friendly matches despite housing a limited capacity for spectators.
Deputy President of FABD, Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin, said that there will be Tier 1 matches – a senior international game recognized by the International Federation and Association Football (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The three games with Laos and Maldives will be held in Brunei starting on 21 September, while Brunei’s A-level national team will meet the Maldives team on 21 September, and Laos on 27 September.
Laos’ Under-19 football team stunned the region and the world with a 2-0 win over Thailand, knocking out their neighbor and pushing on to the final.
While Laos was unable to take home the trophy, reaching the final under the guidance of coach Michael Weiss was a historic moment that will not be forgotten.
