Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
THE national under-22 football team ended their 29th SEA Games campaign without a point after falling 1-0 to Singapore last night.
Brunei goalkeeper Ishyra Asmin Jabidi (pic) kept his side in the game but ultimately couldn’t stop his own defender Khalid Wassadisalleh Mahmud from putting the ball into his own net 15 minutes from time to separate the two sides.
After a rather dull start to the dead rubber Group A match, it was Singapore who were on the offensive at the Selayang Municipal Council Stadium.
Hanafi Akbar drove one from 20 yards out the 35th minute only to watch it come off the crossbar before Ikhsan Fandi headed wide off the rebound.
Ikhsan Fandi had one last effort before the halftime whistle but was parried by Ishyra.
The Brunei custodian was in good form making three saves in a space of eight minutes after the break.
He caught Taufik Suparno’s shot from the edge of the area three minutes into the second half and denied Ikhsan from just inside the box but was denied by goalkeeper in the 55th minute.
He then denied Irfan’s header off a freekick from the left the next minute.
Brunei could have broken the deadlock in the 70th minute but Khalid failed to connect on Faiq Bolkiah’s free-kick in front of goal.
Singapore finally went in front after substitute Rusyaidi Salime’s cross from the right resulted in Khalid, who was looking to clear with his left knee, putting the ball into his own net.
They could have added a second goal deep into injury time but Ikhsan’s shot was denied by Martin Haddy Khallidden on the goal line before Taufik fired over the rebound.
Meanwhile, Malaysia completed the group flawless after beating Laos 3-1 at the Shah Alam Stadium.
