Brunei national football team

Early days

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 became the runners-up of the 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

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

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

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

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] The following month, they failed to qualify for the 2024 ASEAN Championship, losing to Timor-Leste 0–1 on aggregate.^[35] A friendly in Russia organised by the Russian Football Union was then held in November and resulted in a 11–0 heavy defeat, with the squad marred by an indiscipline scandal that led to several suspensions meted out to offending players.^[36]

Brunei finished their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification behind Lebanon, Yemen and Bhutan with three points in six games.^[37]

Kit

Brunei had initially worn a predominantly yellow pattern as their home kit adorned with white or black since their inception in 1956 to represent the colours of their flags. The current kit manufacturer is Puma which was incorporated since 2024.^[38]

Home stadium

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 and Field Sports Complex as an alternative stadium as their main stadium were undergoing renovation works. However, as the Track and 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.^[39]

More information Image, Stadium ...

Brunei national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium	28,000	Bandar Seri Begawan	v   Lebanon (18 November 2025; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification)
	Track & Field Sports Complex	1,700	Bandar Seri Begawan	v   Sabah FC (6 September 2023; Unofficial friendly)

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2025

Sri Lanka  v  Brunei

5 June Friendly	Sri Lanka	1–0	Brunei	Bangkok, Thailand
16:00 UTC+7	Perera 57'	Report		Stadium: Alpine Football Camp Referee: Torpong Somsing (Thailand)

Brunei  v  Bhutan

10 June 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Brunei	2–1	Bhutan	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:00 UTC+8	Nazirrudin 29' Chetrim 63' (o.g.)	Report	Tshering 90+2'	Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 3,158 Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand)

Brunei  v  Yemen

9 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Brunei	0–2	Yemen	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
16:00 UTC+8		Report	Al-Matari 25' Al-Gahwashi 36'	Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 1,539 Referee: Ngô Duy Lân (Vietnam)

Yemen  v  Brunei

14 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Yemen	9–0	Brunei	Kuwait City, Kuwait
20:00 UTC+3	Al-Gahwashi 12', 27', 51', 54', 73' Al-Dahi 29', 65' Masnom 62' Sabara 90+1'	Report		Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 755 Referee: Mederbek Taichiev (Kyrgyzstan)
Note: Yemen was required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Yemen civil war.

Brunei  v  Lebanon

18 November 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Brunei	0–3	Lebanon	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
20:15 UTC+8		Report	Fakhro 3' Merheg 45+3' Bugiel 59'	Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 2,667 Referee: Hasan Akrami (Iran)

2026

Bhutan  v  Brunei

31 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Bhutan	2–1	Brunei	Guwahati, India
18:00 UTC+5:30	Gyeltshen 39', 45+2'	Report Report (AFC)	Hakeme 29'	Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Attendance: 549 Referee: Venkatesh Ramachandran (India)

Brunei  v  Timor-Leste

2 June 2026 ASEAN Championship qualification	Brunei	v	Timor-Leste	Brunei
--:-- UTC+8

Timor-Leste  v  Brunei

9 June 2026 ASEAN Championship qualification	Timor-Leste	v	Brunei
--:--

Coaching history

Caretaker coaches are listed in italics.

Current squad

The following 22 players were called up for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Bhutan on 31 March 2026.^[41]

Information correct as of 31 March 2026, after the match against Bhutan.

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Haimie Abdullah Nyaring	(1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 (age 27)	30	0	DPMM
18	1GK	Abdul Azeez Elyas	(1998-08-09) 9 August 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Indera
20	1GK	Jefri Syafiq Ishak	(2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Kasuka
2	2DF	Afi Aminuddin	(1991-10-09) 9 October 1991 (age 34)	22	0	Kasuka
3	2DF	Abdul Mu'iz Sisa	(1991-04-20) 20 April 1991 (age 35)	22	1	Kasuka
5	2DF	Nurikhwan Othman	(1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 33)	25	2	DPMM
6	2DF	Wafi Aminuddin	(2000-08-20) 20 August 2000 (age 25)	19	1	Kasuka
12	2DF	Syafiq Safiuddin Abdul Shariff	(2002-07-16) 16 July 2002 (age 23)	9	1	DPMM
14	2DF	Hibatur Rahman Mohamad	(2000-01-01) 1 January 2000 (age 26)	4	0	MS ABDB
21	2DF	Nazry Aiman Azaman	(2004-07-01) 1 July 2004 (age 21)	12	1	DPMM
22	2DF	Hanif Hamir	(1997-02-22) 22 February 1997 (age 29)	25	0	DPMM
4	3MF	Hanif Farhan Azman	(2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 25)	15	0	DPMM
8	3MF	Nazirrudin Ismail	(1998-12-27) 27 December 1998 (age 27)	24	2	DPMM
11	3MF	Amin Sisa	(1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 28)	5	0	Indera
13	3MF	Haziq Kasyful Azim Hasimulabdillah	(1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 27)	15	0	Kasuka
16	3MF	Abdul Hariz Herman	(2000-09-24) 24 September 2000 (age 25)	17	1	DPMM
17	3MF	Nur Asyraffahmi Norsamri	(2000-05-04) 4 May 2000 (age 26)	12	0	Kasuka
19	3MF	Alinur Rashimy Jufri	(2000-06-12) 12 June 2000 (age 25)	14	0	Kasuka
7	4FW	Haziq Naqiuddin Syamra	(2004-05-26) 26 May 2004 (age 21)	5	0	Kasuka
9	4FW	Hariz Danial Khallidden	(1996-11-01) 1 November 1996 (age 29)	16	0	DPMM
10	4FW	Hakeme Yazid Said	(2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 23)	24	4	DPMM
15	4FW	Faturrahman Embran	(1999-08-22) 22 August 1999 (age 26)	11	0	DPMM

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Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Brunei squad in the last twelve months.

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Ahsanuddin Dani	(1994-03-13) 13 March 1994 (age 32)	0	0	Indera	v.  Bhutan; 31 March 2026PRE
GK	Ishyra Asmin Jabidi	(1998-07-09) 9 July 1998 (age 27)	3	0	DPMM	v.  Lebanon; 18 November 2025
DF	Yura Indera Putera Yunos	(1996-03-25) 25 March 1996 (age 30)	27	0	DPMM	v.  Bhutan; 31 March 2026PRE
DF	Martin Haddy Khallidden	(1998-04-21) 21 April 1998 (age 28)	2	0	DPMM	v.  Lebanon; 18 November 2025
DF	Nazhan Zulkifle	(2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 25)	6	0	Kasuka	v.  Yemen; 15 October 2025
DF	Amirul Aizad Zaidi	(2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Indera	v.  Bhutan; 10 June 2025
DF	Abdul Aziz Hassan	(1993-03-18) 18 March 1993 (age 33)	0	0	Indera	v.  Bhutan; 10 June 2025
DF	Azrin Danial Yusra	(2006-02-11) 11 February 2006 (age 20)	0	0	Indera	v.  Bhutan; 10 June 2025
MF	Azwan Ali Rahman (captain)	(1992-01-11) 11 January 1992 (age 34)	30	8	DPMM	v.  Bhutan; 31 March 2026PRE
MF	Khairil Shahme Suhaimi	(1993-04-16) 16 April 1993 (age 33)	25	0	Kasuka	v.  Bhutan; 31 March 2026PRE
MF	Abdul Wadud Ramli	(1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 27)	6	0	MS PPDB	v.  Lebanon; 18 November 2025
MF	Asri Aspar	(1996-01-17) 17 January 1996 (age 30)	2	0	Kasuka	v.  Lebanon; 18 November 2025
MF	Shafie Effendy	(1995-08-04) 4 August 1995 (age 30)	9	1	MS ABDB	v.  Sri Lanka; 5 June 2025
FW	Hanif Aiman Adanan	(2000-03-04) 4 March 2000 (age 26)	1	0	Kasuka	v.  Yemen; 15 October 2025
FW	Shah Rizan Reymoon	(2000-11-28) 28 November 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Rimba Star	v.  Yemen; 9 October 2025PRE
FW	Faris Fadillah Saiful Bahari	(2008-01-01) 1 January 2008 (age 18)	0	0	DPMM U18	v.  Bhutan; 10 June 2025
FW	Ali Munawwar Abdul Rahman	(2004-06-30) 30 June 2004 (age 21)	1	0	MS ABDB	v.  Bhutan; 10 June 2025
Notes STD = On standby PRE = Preliminary squad INJ = Injured RET = Retired from international duty

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Most appearances

Top goalscorers

Shah Razen Said and Azwan Ali Rahman are Brunei's joint all-time top scorers with 8 goals.

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup, Qualification ...

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		0/5							18	2	0	16	5	74

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, AFC Asian Cup qualification ...

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										10	3	0	7	7	34
Total	–	0/18	−	−	−	−	−	−		25	4	1	20	11	102

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Asian Games

AFC Challenge Cup

More information AFC Challenge Cup, Year ...

AFC Challenge Cup
Year	Round	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
2006	Group stage	3	1	1	1	2	2
2008	Did not qualify
2010
2012	Suspended
2014	Withdrew
Total	Best: Group stage	3	1	1	1	2	2

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AFC Solidarity Cup

More information AFC Solidarity Cup, Year ...

AFC Solidarity Cup
Year	Result	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
2016	Fourth place	4	1	1	2	7	7
Total	Best: Fourth place	4	1	1	2	7	7

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ASEAN Championship

This competition was formerly known as the Tiger Cup and afterwards the AFF Championship

More information ASEAN Championship record, Qualification record ...

ASEAN Championship record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA 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 2026 To be determined To be determined Total Group stage 2/16 8 1 0 7 3 37 27 7 3 17 40 58

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Friendly

• Borneo Cup (3): 1968, 1981, 1987

Awards

• ASEAN Championship Fair Play Award (1): 1996^[43]