Brunei national football team
| Nickname(s) | Tebuan (The Wasps) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Brunei Darussalam | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | AFF (Southeast Asia) | ||
| Head coach |  Jamie McAllister | ||
| Captain | Azwan Ali Rahman | ||
| Most caps | Azwan Saleh (34) | ||
| Top scorer | Azwan Ali Rahman & Shah Razen Said (8) | ||
| Home stadium | Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | BRU | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 183  7 (19 September 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 140 (December 1992) | ||
| Lowest | 203 (October 2012) | ||
| First international | |||
 Malaysia 8–0 Brunei  (Bangkok, Thailand; 22 May 1971)[2] | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Brunei 4–0 East Timor  (Kuching, Malaysia; 2 November 2016) Brunei 6–2 East Timor (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; 5 November 2022) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
Brunei 0–12 United Arab Emirates  (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; 14 April 2001) | |||
| AFC Challenge Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2006) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2006) | ||
| AFC Solidarity Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2016) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2016) | ||
| AFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1996) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1996, 2022) | ||
| Website | the-fabd.com | ||
The Brunei national football team (Malay: Pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan Brunei; recognized as Brunei Darussalam by FIFA[4]), nicknamed Tebuan (The Wasps), is the national team of Brunei, controlled by the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. The team was founded in 1959 and joined FIFA in 1969. In the past, they have also frequently featured in the Malaysian league and cup competitions as one of the state representative sides.
The Brunei State Football Amateur Association was formed on 15 March 1956. In 1993, the word "Amateur" was dropped, and they were known as the Brunei Football Association. Brunei's experience of international football has been more or less restricted to regional Asian competitions, such as the Southeast Asian Games and the AFF Championship. So far, Brunei has entered the FIFA World Cup qualifiers only four times, in 1986, 2002, 2018 and 2022. On these occasions, they did not qualify for the competition. They have made five appearances in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, but they have never passed the first qualification round.[5]
History
[edit]Early days
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The national team's first appearance took place during the 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they were unable to qualify after all three heavy defeats.[6] The following two championships (1976 and 1977) were no different from the first, with their first and second victory during the 1980 Summer Olympics.[7] In 1979, Brunei entered a team to compete in the professional Malaysian league and despite competing against Malaysian clubs, Brunei had previously never made an impact.[8] However, in 1999, they shocked everyone by lifting the Malaysia Cup.[9]
Brunei won their first and only Brunei Merdeka Games trophy in 1985.[10] Since then, team was not able to qualify into or win any major tournaments. Coming the closest was the 1993 Philippines International Cup, where they came in third position after a 1–0 victory against the Philippines.[11] Brunei was then invited for the inaugural 2006 AFC Challenge Cup held in Bangladesh being grouped with Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. Brunei narrowly lost to Sri Lanka 1–0 before bouncing back from their defeat in the second match winning against Nepal 2–1 however with them needing the win in the last fixture, Brunei ended up in a goalless draw crashing out from the cup splitting the same points as Nepal but on goal differences.
Suspension
[edit]In September 2009, the Brunei Football Association (BAFA) was suspended due to governmental interference in its affairs, which started with a decision by the Brunei authorities to dissolve BAFA and to replace it with a new federation in December 2008.[12][13] The suspension was applied with immediate effect and meant that the Brunei club DPMM were no longer permitted to play in the Singapore S.League until it was resolved.[14] DPMM has confirmed to Football Association of Singapore (FAS) that they are unable to finish their S.League season because of the issue with its association. FIFA rejected FAS's final request on 17 October 2009 to permit DPMM to compete in the current S.League season while BAFA's suspension persisted.[15]
On 19 March 2010, the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to submit to the next FIFA Congress the expulsion of the association if the BAFA has not been reinstated by then, after noting that no major progress had been made since the BAFA was suspended in September 2009. FIFA warned that unless BAFA came to FIFA's Congress on 9 and 10 June in South Africa having met the conditions for reinstatement it would be expelled.[16] Brunei were re-instated on 31 May 2011 and the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) was formed that same year.[17]
Reform
[edit]
Upon returning to the football action, the Wasps were unable to qualify for both the 2012 and 2014 AFF Championship following several losses. Brunei was again defeated 2–1 in aggregate against the Chinese Taipei during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification in March 2015.[18] The wasps failed to qualify for the 2016 AFF Championship after suffering defeats from Cambodia and Laos. Brunei was then invited to the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup where they finished in fourth place after losing 3–2 to Laos. Despite the disappointment, Shah Razen Said from the Bruneian side managed to become the tournament's top scorer, finishing with a total of 4 goals.[19]
Timor-Leste defeated Brunei in the second leg 2018 AFF Championship qualifying match at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on 8 September 2018, securing their spot in the 2018 AFF Championship final round group action for the first time in 14 years. Despite having a two-goal advantage from the first leg, Timor-Leste fell 1–0 but still advanced with a 3–2 aggregate score.[20] Brunei defeated Mongolia 2–1 on 11 June 2019,[21] but were unable to advance to the next stage of the preliminary joint qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[22][23]
Return to the AFF Championship
[edit]Under new coach Mario Rivera, Brunei managed to qualify to the 2022 AFF Championship for the first time in 26 years since its inaugural edition in 1996, by defeating Timor-Leste 6–3 on aggregate.[24] The Wasps were grouped with Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia.[25] They finished the group stage without gaining a single point, conceding at least 5 goals in every game with Razimie Ramlli scoring against the Philippines and Nur Ikhwan Othman scoring against Cambodia.[26]
On 17 October 2023, Brunei returned to the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium after four years since their last match against Mongolia in 2019 for their fixture against Indonesia in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[27] The Wasps were beaten 0–12 on aggregate, knocking them out of the qualification in the first round.[28]
2024 Win Streak
[edit]In 2024, FIFA invited Brunei to the 2024 FIFA Series held in March in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where they would face their first ever opponents outside of their confederation.[29] On 22 March, Brunei faced off against CONCACAF opponent Bermuda but conceded two late goals, losing 2–0.[30] Four days later, Brunei came against Vanuatu and won the match 3–2, when three minutes into stoppage time Hakeme Yazid Said's direct free kick sealed the victory against their opponents from Oceania.[31]
Later in June of that year, Brunei invited the Sri Lanka national team to two friendly matches in the country in conjunction with the FIFA calendar.[32] Headed by interim coach Rui Capela Batista, Brunei extended their winning form to three which is the first time in their history after captain Azwan Ali Rahman scored the only goal in both games held at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on 8 and 11 June respectively.[33]
The following September, Brunei registered two wins against Macau with an aggregate of 4–0 during the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification play-off round to further stretch the streak to five games and thus gaining their spot at the third qualification round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification.[34]
Team image
[edit]
Kit
[edit]Brunei had initially worn dark yellow shirts and shorts as their home kit since their inception in 1956 to represent the colours of their flags.
On 11 July 2021, a decade after it was formed, the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD) aligned itself with the country’s philosophy as part of its rebranding strategy. In fact, FABD, which was earlier established as the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD), dropped the word National from its name including a new logo which was also unveiled consisting of a three-layered crescent combined to represent the lunar stages culminating into a full moon. The three layers of the crescent each represent the colours of the national flag of Brunei. The ‘ripe-lemon’ coloured crescent contains a Jawi inscription of the association’s name in Malay while the black crescent has the association’s name written in English. The logo also features a green football covered with honeycomb pattern, signifying the association’s wish to inject more precise and better growth in the sport. In fact, the honeycomb motif was chosen as it drew inspiration from the national team’s nickname ‘The Wasps’.
Home stadium
[edit]Brunei's home stadium is the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan. The stadium capacity is 28,000. From 2021 to 2022, Brunei used the Track & Field Sports Complex as an alternative stadium as their main stadium went for a renovation works for improvement however as the Track & Field Sports Complex does not meet the required standards, Brunei chose the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Malaysia as their home ground for their 2022 AFF Championship matches.
| Brunei national football team home stadiums | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Stadium | Capacity | Location | Last match |
|
Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium | 28,000 | Bandar Seri Begawan | v  Macau (6 September 2024; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round)
|
|
Track & Field Sports Complex | 1,700 | Bandar Seri Begawan | v Sabah FC (6 September 2023; Unofficial friendly)
|
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
[edit]| 6 September Unofficial Friendly | Brunei | 1–3 | _Cover.jpg){kind=small} Sabah | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 |
|
Stadium: Track & Field Sports Complex Referee: Mou'azhzham Zamakhsyarie Marsidi |
| 11 September Friendly | Hong Kong  | 10–0 | Brunei | So Kon Po, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 |
|
Report | Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 6,097 Referee: Warintorn Sassadee (Thailand) |
| 12 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round | Indonesia  | 6–0 | Brunei | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 19:00 UTC+7 | Report | Stadium: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium Attendance: 23,318 Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran) |
| 17 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round | Brunei | 0–6 (0–12 agg.) | Indonesia | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 17,812 Referee: Ahmed Faisal Al Ali (Jordan) |
2024
[edit]| 26 February Unofficial friendly | Brunei | 0–0 (2–4 p) | BSL All Stars | Berakas, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Stadium: Track and Field Sports Complex Referee: Adib Suimi | |||
| Penalties | ||||
Haziq N.  Hirzi  Razimie Nurikhwan |
K. Anwar Rafik Azwan S. Adi |
|||
| 22 March 2024 FIFA Series | Bermuda  | 2–0 | Brunei | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 22:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium Referee: Qasim Matar Al-Hatmi (Oman) |
| 26 March 2024 FIFA Series | Vanuatu  | 2–3 | Brunei | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 22:00 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium |
| 8 June Friendly | Brunei | 1–0 |  Sri Lanka | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Azwan A.  59' |
Report (FIFA) Report | Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 500 Referee: Thorpong Somsing (Thailand) |
| 11 June Friendly | Sri Lanka | 0–1 | Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Report |
|
Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 800 Referee: Usaid Jamal (Malaysia) |
| 6 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round | Brunei | 3–0 | Macau | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 21:00 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 3,794 Referee: Crystal John (India) |
| 10 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round | Macau | 0–1 | Brunei | Taipa, Macau |
| 19:30 UTC+8 | Report |
|
Stadium: Estádio Campo Desportivo Attendance: 1,368 Referee: Nurzatbek Abdikadirov (Kyrgyzstan) |
| 8 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification | Brunei | v | East Timor | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Stadium: Track & Field Sports Complex |
| 15 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification | East Timor | v | Brunei | Chonburi, Thailand |
| Stadium: Chonburi Stadium |
Coaching staff
[edit]| Position | Name |
|---|
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- ^ "Brunei matches, ratings and points exchanged". World Football Elo Ratings: Brunei. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "Brunei Darussalam". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Saga of Brunei's football association | The Brunei Times". 16 September 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Asian Nations Cup 1972". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
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- ^ "1999 Malaysia Cup - A special edition for the historic competition | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei Merdeka Games 1985". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Philippines International Tournaments 1991-1998". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei suspended for government interference". Asian Football Confederation. 30 September 2009. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013.
- ^ "FIFA SUSPEND BAFA". AFF - The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. 1 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "sleague Portal : S.League". 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "sleague Portal : S.League". 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei Darussalam face expulsion". Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
- ^ "FIFA lift Brunei suspension". Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
- ^ "World Cup 2018 Qualifying". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Leong and Shahrazen win MVP and Top Scorer awards". the-afc.com. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "ASC2018 QR: Timor Leste hold off Brunei to qualify for Final Rounds". AFF - The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. 8 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei vs. Mongolia - 11 June 2019 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei disqualify from FIFA World Cup qualifiers depite [sic] 2-1 over Mongolia - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei snatch 2-1 home win but miss out on second round of World Cup » Borneo Bulletin Online". Brunei snatch 2-1 home win but miss out on second round of World Cup. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei DS edge Timor Leste for place in AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022". ASEAN Football Federation. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Brunei AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 squad: Who's in and who's out". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Brunei lose 5-1 to Cambodia". Borneo Bulletin. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Brunei to meet Indonesia in World Cup qualifiers". Borneo Bulletin. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ "NO HOME COMFORT FOR WASPS". BruSports News. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Brunei to take part in major FIFA Series test". Borneo Bulletin. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Opening defeat for Cambodia and Brunei in FIFA Series". ASEAN Football Federation. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Brunei beat Vanuatu 3-2". Borneo Bulletin. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Brunei to play Sri Lanka in international friendly". Borneo Bulletin. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Brunei beat Sri-Lanka 1-0 in international friendly". DPMM FC. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ "Qualifiers: Brunei Darussalam book spot in style". Asian Football Confederation. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.