Brunei national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brunei Darussalam

Nickname(s)	Tebuan (The Wasps)
Association	Football Association of Brunei Darussalam
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Vinícius Eutrópio
Captain	Azwan Ali Rahman
Most caps	Azwan Saleh (35)
Top scorer	Azwan Ali Rahman & Shah Razen Said (8)
Home stadium	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
FIFA code	BRU
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	195 (7 February 2019)
Highest	140 (December 1992)
Lowest	203 (October 2012)
Elo ranking
Current	229 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest	163 (1971)
Lowest	230 (2016)
First international
Malaysia 8–0 Brunei  (Bangkok, Thailand; 22 May 1971)
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 is Brunei's official football team. They are known as Tebuan, which means "The Wasps". The team is managed by the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam.

The team was started in 1959 and joined FIFA in 1969. In the past, they often played in Malaysian football leagues. Brunei mostly plays in regional Asian competitions, like the Southeast Asian Games and the AFF Championship. They have tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup four times but haven't made it yet. They have also played in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers seven times.

History of Brunei Football

Early Matches and First Wins

Brunei national football team in 1970.

The Brunei national team first played in the 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification. They lost all their matches back then. Their first wins came during the qualifiers for the 1980 Summer Olympics.

In 1979, a Brunei team joined the professional Malaysian League. Even though they played against strong Malaysian clubs, they didn't have much success until 1999. That year, they surprised everyone by winning the Malaysia Cup!

Brunei also won the Brunei Merdeka Games trophy in 1985. They came close to winning another trophy in 1993 at the Philippines International Cup, finishing third. Brunei was invited to the first 2006 AFC Challenge Cup in Bangladesh. They won one game against Nepal but didn't make it past the group stage.

A Time of Suspension

In 2009, the Brunei Football Association (BAFA) faced a big problem. The government got involved in how the football association was run. Because of this, FIFA, the world's football governing body, suspended Brunei from all international football. This meant Brunei's club team, DPMM FC, couldn't play in the Singapore league.

FIFA warned that if the problem wasn't fixed, Brunei's football association would be kicked out completely. Luckily, the issue was resolved, and Brunei was allowed back into international football on May 31, 2011. A new football association, the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD), was then formed.

Returning to the Field

Brunei captain, Hendra Azam playing against Indonesia in 2023.

After returning, the Wasps tried to qualify for the AFF Championship in 2012 and 2014 but didn't succeed. In 2015, they lost to Chinese Taipei in the World Cup qualifiers. They also failed to qualify for the 2016 AFF Championship.

However, Brunei was invited to the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup. They finished in fourth place. A player from Brunei, Shah Razen Said, became the top scorer of that tournament with 4 goals!

In 2018, Brunei played Timor-Leste in the 2018 AFF Championship qualification. Even though they won one game, they lost overall and didn't qualify. In 2019, Brunei beat Mongolia 2–1 but couldn't move forward in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Qualifying for the AFF Championship Again

Under their new coach, Mario Rivera, Brunei finally qualified for the 2022 AFF Championship. This was their first time in 26 years! They beat Timor-Leste 6–3 over two games to get in. In the main tournament, they were in a tough group and didn't win any matches.

In October 2023, Brunei played at their home stadium again after four years. They faced Indonesia in the World Cup qualifiers but lost both games.

A Winning Streak in 2024

In 2024, Brunei was invited to the 2024 FIFA Series in Saudi Arabia. This was exciting because they got to play teams from outside Asia for the first time. They lost to Bermuda but then won a thrilling match against Vanuatu 3–2. Hakeme Yazid Said scored the winning goal in the last minutes!

Later that year, Brunei played two friendly matches against Sri Lanka at home. They won both games 1–0, extending their winning streak to three matches. This was a first for the team! In September, they beat Macau 4–0 over two games in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. This win stretched their streak to five games and helped them move to the next round of qualifications. However, they later lost to Timor-Leste and didn't qualify for the 2024 ASEAN Championship.

Team Look and Home Ground

Team Kit

Brunei's home kit is mostly yellow, with white or black details. These colors represent the colors of their national flag. Since 2024, their kits have been made by the sports brand Puma.

Home Stadium

Brunei's main home stadium is the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan. It can hold 28,000 fans!

From 2021 to 2022, Brunei used the Track & Field Sports Complex while their main stadium was being fixed. However, this stadium wasn't big enough for international games, so Brunei sometimes played their home matches in Malaysia, like for the 2022 AFF Championship.

Brunei national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium	28,000	Bandar Seri Begawan	v   East Timor (8 October 2024; 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification)
	Track & Field Sports Complex	1,700	Bandar Seri Begawan	v   Sabah FC (6 September 2023; Unofficial friendly)

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Vinícius Eutrópio
Team manager	Azmi Azizul
Assistant coach	Felipe Sampaio
Goalkeeping coach	Omar Nur Aqammaddin Sallehuddin
Fitness coach	Solivan Della Valle
Kitman	Roney Morni
Media officer	Hazim Hamzah

Players

Current Squad

Here are the 23 players who were chosen for the friendly match against Russia on November 15, 2024.

This information is correct as of November 15, 2024, after the match against  Russia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Jefri Syafiq Ishak	(2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Kuala Belait
18	1GK	Abdul Azeez Elyas	(1998-08-09) 9 August 1998 (age 26)	0	0	DPMM II
3	2DF	Abdul Mu'iz Sisa	(1991-04-20) 20 April 1991 (age 34)	20	1	DPMM
5	2DF	Nurikhwan Othman	(1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 32)	21	2	DPMM
6	2DF	Wafi Aminuddin	(2000-08-20) 20 August 2000 (age 24)	11	1	Kasuka
12	2DF	Syafiq Safiuddin Abdul Shariff	(2002-07-16) 16 July 2002 (age 22)	6	1	DPMM
13	2DF	Hazwan Hamzah	(1991-09-09) 9 September 1991 (age 33)	10	0	Kasuka
22	2DF	Alinur Rashimy Jufri	(2000-06-12) 12 June 2000 (age 25)	9	0	Kasuka
23	2DF	Yura Indera Putera Yunos	(1996-03-25) 25 March 1996 (age 29)	26	0	DPMM
2	3MF	Abdul Wadud Ramli	(1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26)	1	0	MS PPDB
4	3MF	Hanif Farhan Azman	(2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 24)	9	0	DPMM
7	3MF	Azwan Ali Rahman (captain)	(1992-01-11) 11 January 1992 (age 33)	27	8	DPMM
9	3MF	Amin Sisa	(1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Indera
11	3MF	Asri Aspar	(1996-01-17) 17 January 1996 (age 29)	1	0	Kasuka
14	3MF	Haziq Kasyful Azim Hasimulabdillah	(1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26)	15	0	Kasuka
16	3MF	Shafie Effendy	(1995-08-04) 4 August 1995 (age 29)	9	1	MS ABDB
21	3MF	Azwan Saleh	(1988-01-06) 6 January 1988 (age 37)	35	3	DPMM
8	4FW	Baharin Hamidon	(1987-11-08) 8 November 1987 (age 37)	2	0	MS ABDB
10	4FW	Razimie Ramlli	(1990-08-06) 6 August 1990 (age 34)	20	6	DPMM II
15	4FW	Faturrahman Embran	(1999-08-22) 22 August 1999 (age 25)	6	0	DPMM
17	4FW	Hakeme Yazid Said	(2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 22)	22	3	DPMM
19	4FW	Hariz Danial Khallidden	(1996-11-01) 1 November 1996 (age 28)	12	0	MS ABDB
24	4FW	Nasy'rul Wafiy Hassan	(1998-12-13) 13 December 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Kota Ranger

Player Records

Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Brunei.

Most Games Played

Azwan Saleh has played the most games for Brunei, with 35 appearances.

Top Goal Scorers

Shah Razen Said and Azwan Ali Rahman are Brunei's top scorers with 8 goals each.

Competition Records

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	F	A		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930 to 1950	Part of  United Kingdom									Part of  United Kingdom
1954 to 1970	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1974 to 1982	Did not enter									Did not enter
1986	Did not qualify									6	0	0	6	2	29
1990 to 1998	Did not enter									Did not enter
2002	Did not qualify									6	0	0	6	0	28
2006 and 2010	Did not enter									Did not enter
2014	Suspended									Suspended
2018	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	1	2
2022										2	1	0	1	2	3
2026										2	0	0	2	0	12
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total		0/14							18	2	0	16	5	80

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record										AFC Asian Cup qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Did not enter									Did not enter
1960
1964
1968
1972	Did not qualify									3	0	0	3	0	27
1976										3	0	0	3	1	19
1980	Withdrew									Withdrew
1984
1988	Did not enter									Did not enter
1992
1996
2000	Did not qualify									3	0	0	3	0	11
2004										2	0	1	1	1	6
2007	Did not enter									Did not enter
2011	Did not qualify									AFC Challenge Cup
2015	Withdrew									Withdrew
2019	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	1	2
2023										2	1	0	1	2	3
2027	To be determined									4	2	0	2	4	12
Total	–	0/18	−	−	−	−	−	−		19	3	1	15	8	80

ASEAN Championship

This competition used to be called the Tiger Cup

ASEAN Championship record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF A 1996 Group stage 8th 4 1 0 3 1 15 No qualification 1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 2 6 2000 Withdrew Withdrew 2002 did not enter Did not enter 2004 2007 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 6 11 2008 4 1 1 2 8 7 2010 Suspended Suspended 2012 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 6 7 2014 4 0 0 4 5 12 2016 3 1 0 2 5 8 2018 2 1 0 1 2 3 2020 Withdrew Withdrew 2022 Group stage 10th 4 0 0 4 2 22 2 1 0 1 6 3 2024 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 1 Total Group stage 2/15 8 1 0 7 3 37 27 7 3 17 40 58

Honours

Friendly Competitions

• Borneo Cup
  • Winners (3): 1968, 1981, 1987
• Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1985
• Philippines International Cup
  • Third place (1): 1993

Images for kids

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  Goalkeeper (left) and home kits (right) of Brunei in 2023