Reversing fortunes

SINGAPORE — When it comes to the men’s football competition at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA), Brunei are unenviably known as the “whipping boys”.

They lost all their fixtures at the previous edition in Myanmar two years ago, scoring only two goals and conceding 14 in four matches. In 2011, they fared better, winning one game, drawing another and losing three.

However, Brunei head coach Stephen Ng believes the current side can give their rivals a run for their money.

Speaking ahead of their opening Group B fixture today at Bishan Stadium against Vietnam — which is also the first event of the 28th SEA Games — the 43-year-old, who was the reserve goalkeeper in Singapore’s famous 1994 side that won both the Malaysian League and Cup, acknowledged that being drawn into the tougher Group B, with record 14-time champions Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Timor Leste and Malaysia, has done them little favour.

“I’m looking at a game-to-game basis because it’s a tough group. The other two teams are established teams in ASEAN. So let’s see if we can make it through,” said Ng.

“We have been working very hard for the past couple of months and the team is well prepared. We are focusing more on the level of performance. If the players can raise the game, anything can happen.”

Brunei’s best performance in football at the SEA Games was a fourth-place finish at the 1983 Games in Singapore.

Expected to shoulder the bulk of Brunei’s hopes of improving on that record is forward Faiq Bolkiah, who also plays for the under-18 side of newly minted English Premier League champions Chelsea.

Ng believes the experience gained by the 17-year-old, who is also the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, will be critical to their hopes of a surprise semi-final berth.

“With Faiq having trained in Europe, we are tapping his experience to try to help the team,” said Ng, who has also made the player his captain.

The teenager’s flair in front of goal will be complemented by experience in midfield, as the coach has picked the Brunei DPMM trio of Azwan Ali Rahman, Aminuddin Zakwan Tahir and Ak Yuka Indera Putera Pg Yunos. Based overseas, Faiq has not had much time to gel with his team-mates, but is already determined to fix his team’s goalscoring problems — Brunei scored only twice in their past five outings.

“It’s different playing with new players whom I am not used to yet. I managed to train with them a couple of days before the SEA Games and am trying to fit in and put my strengths to good use,” said Faiq.

Vietnam, who have reached the semi-finals in eight of the past 10 editions of the Games, will prove to be a stern test for Ng’s side today.

However, the Singaporean said: “Vietnamese football has been improving over the past couple of years and they are one of ASEAN’s best teams. But we will see how the matches go because we have enough quality to give them a good fight.”

SEA Games Men’s Under-23 Football

May 29 to June 15

Today: Brunei v Vietnam, 4pm; Laos v Thailand, 8.30pm;live on MediaCorp Okto at 8.25pm. Matches to be played at Bishan Stadium.