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Brunei national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Women's football in Brunei.
Quick facts for kids
Brunei Darussalam
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Tebuan (The Wasps)
Association Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach Fabio Maciel
Captain Azwan Ali Rahman
Most caps Azwan Saleh (36)
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 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 140 (December 1992)
Lowest 203 (October 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 229 Decrease 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 also known as Tebuan, which means "The Wasps". This team represents Brunei in international football games. The Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD) controls the team.

The team started in 1959 and joined FIFA in 1969. For many years, Brunei's team also played in Malaysian football leagues. They often competed in regional Asian events like the Southeast Asian Games and the AFF Championship. Brunei has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup four times. These attempts were in 1986, 2002, 2018, and 2022. So far, they have not made it to the World Cup. They have also played in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers seven times. In 2024, they reached the third round for the first time.

History of Brunei Football

Early Games and First Wins

Brunei football team (1970)
Brunei national football team with Pengiran Yusuf in 1970

Brunei's first international games were in the 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification. They lost all three matches. The next two championships in 1976 and 1977 were similar. Brunei got their first and second wins during the 1980 Summer Olympics qualifiers.

In 1979, a Brunei team joined the professional Malaysian League. Even though they played against strong Malaysian clubs, they did not have much success at first. But in 1999, they surprised everyone by winning the Malaysia Cup.

In 1985, Brunei was the runner-up in the Brunei Merdeka Games. After that, the team struggled to qualify for or win big tournaments. They came close in the 1993 Philippines International Cup. They finished third after beating the Philippines 1–0.

Brunei was invited to the first 2006 AFC Challenge Cup in Bangladesh. They were in a group with Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Nepal. Brunei lost to Sri Lanka 1–0. Then they won against Nepal 2–1. However, they needed another win in their last game, but it was a 0–0 draw. This meant they were out of the cup.

Team Suspension and Return

In September 2009, the Brunei Football Association (BAFA) was suspended. This happened because the government got involved in how the association was run. The Brunei authorities decided to close BAFA and create a new football group in December 2008.

Because of this suspension, the Brunei club DPMM could not play in the Singapore S.League. FIFA, the world football body, warned that if BAFA was not put back in charge, Brunei's football association would be removed from FIFA. Brunei was allowed back into FIFA on May 31, 2011. The National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) was then formed.

Recent Years and Comeback

Indonesia-Brunei 17 October 2023 46
Brunei captain, Hendra Azam playing against Indonesia in 2023

After returning to international football, the Wasps struggled. They did not qualify for the 2012 or 2014 AFF Championship. In March 2015, Brunei lost 2–1 on total score to Chinese Taipei in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. They also failed to qualify for the 2016 AFF Championship after losing to Cambodia and Laos.

Brunei was invited to the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup. They finished in fourth place after losing 3–2 to Laos. Despite this, Shah Razen Said from Brunei became the top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals.

In September 2018, Timor-Leste beat Brunei in the qualifying match at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. Timor-Leste won 3–2 on total score over two games. This meant Timor-Leste went to the main tournament. On June 11, 2019, Brunei beat Mongolia 2–1. However, they could not move to the next stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Return to the AFF Championship

Under their new coach Mario Rivera, Brunei qualified for the 2022 AFF Championship. This was their first time in 26 years, since the first tournament in 1996. They qualified by beating Timor-Leste 6–3 on total score.

In the main tournament, the Wasps were in a group with Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Cambodia. They did not earn any points in the group stage. They gave up at least 5 goals in every game. However, Razimie Ramlli scored against the Philippines, and Nur Ikhwan Othman scored against Cambodia.

On October 17, 2023, Brunei played at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium again. It was their first match there since 2019. They played against Indonesia in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. Brunei lost 0–12 on total score and was knocked out.

Winning Streak in 2024

In March 2024, FIFA invited Brunei to the 2024 FIFA Series in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This was their first time playing teams from outside their own football region. On March 22, Brunei played against CONCACAF team Bermuda. They lost 2–0 after giving up two late goals. Four days later, Brunei played Vanuatu. They won the match 3–2. Hakeme Yazid Said scored the winning goal from a free kick in stoppage time. This was a big win against a team from Oceania.

In June 2024, Brunei invited the Sri Lanka national team for two friendly matches. These games were part of the FIFA calendar. With interim coach Rui Capela Batista, Brunei extended their winning streak to three games. This was a first for the team. Captain Azwan Ali Rahman scored the only goal in both games. The matches were held at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on June 8 and 11.

In September 2024, Brunei won two games against Macau. They won 4–0 on total score in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification play-off round. This stretched their winning streak to five games. It also earned them a spot in the third qualification round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The next month, they failed to qualify for the 2024 ASEAN Championship. They lost to Timor-Leste 0–1 on total score.

Team Look and Home Ground

Indonesia-Brunei 17 October 2023 27
Goalkeeper (left) and home kits (right) of Brunei in 2023

Team Kit

Brunei's home kit has mostly been yellow since 1956. This color, along with white or black, represents the colors of their flag. Since 2024, the company Puma has made their kits.

Home Stadium

Brunei's main home stadium is the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan. It can hold 28,000 people. From 2021 to 2022, Brunei used the Track & Field Sports Complex as a temporary stadium. This was while their main stadium was being improved. However, the Track & Field Sports Complex did not meet all the required standards. So, Brunei chose the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Malaysia as their home ground for their 2022 AFF Championship matches.

Recent Matches

Main article: Brunei national football team results

Here are the results of Brunei's matches in the last year, and some future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

6 September 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round Brunei  3–0  Macau Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
21:00 UTC+8
  • Hakeme Goal 32'
  • Nazry Goal 56'
  • Hariz H. Goal 61'
 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
  • Azwan Goal 10'
 Stadium: Estádio Campo Desportivo
Attendance: 1,368
Referee: Nurzatbek Abdikadirov (Kyrgyzstan)
8 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification Brunei  0–1  East Timor Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:30 UTC+8
  • Gali Goal 47'
 Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
Attendance: 3,115
Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia
15 October 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification East Timor  0–0
(0–1 agg.)		  Brunei Chonburi, Thailand
19:30 UTC+7 Stadium: Chonburi Stadium
Referee: Torpong Somsing (Thailand)
15 November Friendly Russia  11–0  Brunei Krasnodar, Russia
19:00 UTC+3
  • Oblyakov Goal 1', 28'
  • Nurikhwan Goal 7' (o.g.)
  • Morozov Goal 9'
  • Sadulayev Goal 48'
  • Krivstov Goal 57'
  • Musayev Goal 62'
  • Mostovoy Goal 67'
  • Chernikov Goal 73'
  • Batrakov Goal 79'
  • Adamov Goal 87'
 Stadium: Krasnodar Stadium
Referee: Rustam Lutfullin
18 November Unofficial friendly FC Krasnodar-2 Russia 3–0  Brunei Krasnodar, Russia
19:00 UTC+3 Stadium: Krasnodar Academy Stadium
Attendance: 0

2025 Matches

25 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Lebanon  5–0  Brunei Doha, Qatar
21:30 UTC+3
  • Fakhro Goal 5', 28'
  • Merheg Goal 21'
  • Chakroun Goal 33'
  • Haidar Goal 90+1'
 Stadium: Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium
Attendance: 282
Referee: Ramachandran Venkatesh (India)
Note: Lebanon was required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
5 June Friendly Sri Lanka  1–0  Brunei Bangkok, Thailand
16:00 UTC+7
  • Perera Goal 57'
 Stadium: Alpine Football Camp
Referee: Torpong Somsing (Thailand)
10 June 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Brunei  2–1  Bhutan Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:00 UTC+8
  • Nazirrudin Goal 29'
  • Chetrim Goal 63' (o.g.)
  • Tshering Goal 90+2'
 Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
Attendance: 3,158
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand)
9 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Brunei  v  Yemen Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
--:-- UTC+6 Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
14 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Yemen  v  Brunei Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
20:00 UTC+8 Stadium: 80th Birthday Stadium
18 November 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Brunei  v  Lebanon Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:00 UTC+8 Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium

2026 Matches

31 March 2026 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Bhutan  v  Brunei Thimphu, Bhutan
--:--  Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Technical director &
Interim head coach		 Brazil Fabio Maciel
Team manager Brunei
Assistant coach Brunei Ali Mustafa
Brunei Sairol Sahari
BruneiEngland Hazim Hamzah
Goalkeeping coach Brunei Omar Nur Aqammaddin Sallehuddin
Kitman Brunei Roney Morni
Media officer Brunei Khairi Zuhair

Players

Current Squad

The following 23 players were chosen for the friendly match against Sri Lanka in Bangkok, Thailand on June 5, 2025. They also played in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Bhutan. Faris Fadillah Saiful Bahari replaced Shafie Effendy on the day of the match.

Information is correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Bhutan.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Haimie Abdullah Nyaring (1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 (age 27) 27 0 Brunei DPMM
18 1GK Ahsanuddin Dani (1994-03-13) 13 March 1994 (age 31) 0 0 Brunei Indera
20 1GK Jefri Syafiq Ishak (2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Brunei DPMM II
2 2DF Afi Aminuddin (1991-10-09) 9 October 1991 (age 33) 20 0 Brunei Kasuka
3 2DF Martin Haddy Khallidden (1998-04-21) 21 April 1998 (age 27) 2 0 Brunei DPMM II
5 2DF Nazry Aiman Azaman (2004-07-01) 1 July 2004 (age 21) 8 1 Brunei DPMM
6 2DF Wafi Aminuddin (2000-08-20) 20 August 2000 (age 24) 15 1 Brunei Kasuka
12 2DF Hibatur Rahman Mohamad (2000-01-01) 1 January 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Brunei MS ABDB
13 2DF Amirul Aizad Zaidi (2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Brunei Indera
14 2DF Abdul Aziz Hassan (1993-03-18) 18 March 1993 (age 32) 0 0 Brunei Indera
19 2DF Azrin Danial Yusra (2006-02-11) 11 February 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Brunei DPMM II
23 2DF Hanif Hamir (1997-02-22) 22 February 1997 (age 28) 22 0 Brunei DPMM
4 3MF Hanif Farhan Azman (2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 24) 12 0 Brunei DPMM
7 3MF Alinur Rashimy Jufri (2000-06-12) 12 June 2000 (age 25) 12 0 Brunei Kasuka
10 3MF Abdul Wadud Ramli (1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26) 4 0 Brunei MS PPDB
11 3MF Haziq Naqiuddin Syamra (2004-05-25) 25 May 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Brunei DPMM II
15 3MF Faturrahman Embran (1999-08-22) 22 August 1999 (age 25) 8 0 Brunei DPMM
16 3MF Abdul Hariz Herman (2000-09-24) 24 September 2000 (age 24) 13 1 Brunei DPMM
21 3MF Khairil Shahme Suhaimi (1993-04-16) 16 April 1993 (age 32) 23 0 Brunei Kasuka
8 4FW Nazirrudin Ismail (1998-12-27) 27 December 1998 (age 26) 20 2 Brunei DPMM
9 4FW Hariz Danial Khallidden (1996-11-01) 1 November 1996 (age 28) 15 0 Brunei DPMM
17 4FW Faris Fadillah Saiful Bahari 0 0 Brunei DPMM II
22 4FW Ali Munawwar Abdul Rahman (2004-06-30) 30 June 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Brunei MS ABDB

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been part of the Brunei squad in the last year.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Ishyra Asmin Jabidi (1998-07-09) 9 July 1998 (age 27) 2 0 Brunei DPMM v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
GK Wardun Yussof (1981-09-14) 14 September 1981 (age 43) 23 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
GK Abdul Azeez Elyas (1998-08-09) 9 August 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Brunei DPMM II v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
DF Wafiq Danish Hasimulabdillah (2005-01-13) 13 January 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
DF Syafiq Safiuddin Abdul Shariff (2002-07-16) 16 July 2002 (age 23) 7 1 Brunei DPMM v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
DF Abdul Mu'iz SisaSUS (1991-04-20) 20 April 1991 (age 34) 20 1 Unattached v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
DF Nurikhwan Othman (1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 32) 21 2 Brunei DPMM v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
DF Hazwan HamzahINJ (1991-09-09) 9 September 1991 (age 33) 10 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
DF Yura Indera Putera Yunos (1996-03-25) 25 March 1996 (age 29) 26 0 Brunei DPMM v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
DF Najib Tarif (1988-02-05) 5 February 1988 (age 37) 30 1 Brunei DPMM v.  East Timor; 15 October 2024
MF Shafie Effendy (1995-08-04) 4 August 1995 (age 29) 9 1 Brunei MS ABDB v.  Sri Lanka; 5 June 2025
MF Azwan Saleh (1988-01-06) 6 January 1988 (age 37) 36 3 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
MF Amin Sisa (1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 27) 4 0 Brunei Indera v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
MF Syafiq Hilmi Shahrom (2006-04-03) 3 April 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
MF Azwan Ali Rahman (captain) (1992-01-11) 11 January 1992 (age 33) 27 8 Brunei DPMM v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
MF Haziq Kasyful Azim HasimulabdillahSUS (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26) 15 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
MF Hendra Azam Idris (1988-08-10) 10 August 1988 (age 36) 23 0 Brunei Indera v.  East Timor; 15 October 2024
FW Adi Said (1990-10-15) 15 October 1990 (age 34) 29 7 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
FW Asri Aspar (1996-01-17) 17 January 1996 (age 29) 2 0 Brunei Kasuka v.  Lebanon; 26 March 2025
FW Baharin HamidonSUS (1987-11-08) 8 November 1987 (age 37) 2 0 Brunei MS ABDB v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
FW Razimie RamlliSUS (1990-08-06) 6 August 1990 (age 34) 20 6 Brunei MS ABDB v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
FW Hakeme Yazid SaidSUS (2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 22) 22 3 Brunei DPMM v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
FW Nasy'rul Wafiy Hassan (1998-12-13) 13 December 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Brunei Almerez v.  Russia; 15 November 2024
Notes
  • STD = On standby
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • INJ = Injured
  • RET = Retired from international duty
  • SUS = Suspended from the national team

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Brunei.

Most Games Played

DPMM-Kota Ranger 27 November 2022 (Players) 15
Azwan Saleh is Brunei's most capped player with 36 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Azwan Saleh 36 3 2006–present
2 Najib Tarif 30 1 2008–present
3 Adi Said 29 7 2012–present
4 Azwan Ali Rahman 27 8 2012–present
Haimie Abdullah Nyaring 27 0 2016–present

Top Goal Scorers

Shah Razen Said and Azwan Ali Rahman are Brunei's joint all-time top scorers with 8 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Shah Razen Said 8 24 0.33 2008–2019
Azwan Ali Rahman 8 27 0.3 2012–present
3 Adi Said 7 29 0.24 2012–present
4 Razimie Ramlli 6 20 0.3 2016–present
5 Said Abdullah 5 14 0.36 1993–2001

Team Achievements

Friendly Competitions

  • Borneo Cup (3): 1968, 1981, 1987

Awards

  • ASEAN Championship Fair Play Award (1): 1996

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Brunéi para niños

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