Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
THE national football team slipped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Maldives in the Tri-Nations opener on Wednesday.
The hosts saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages at the Balapan Track & Field in Berakas.
Skipper Md Hendra Azam Md Idris hit a freekick from 40 yards out just over in the 22nd minute.
Razimie Ramlli should have done better with his header three minutes later but couldn't trouble Maldives keeper Hussain Shareef.
Maldives broke the deadlock in the 36th minute.
A reverse pass from Ibrahim Mahudhee Hussain set up Ibrahim Waheed Hassan to fire home in between the legs of Haimie Anak Nyaring.
Another freekick by Md Hendra Azam minutes later but his effort went directly to the keeper.
Late in the opening half Mahudhee rose highest to head Hamza Mohammed's cross from the left but missed the mark.
Brunei were once again on the front foot in the early stages of the second interval.
They were awarded a penalty after Muhammad Nur Asyraffahmi Norsamri was brought down just at the edge of the box by Haisham Hassan.
It sparked protests by the visitors but to no avail.
Second half substitute Azwan Ali Rahman took the ensuing spotkick but blasted it over.
Maldives gave away another freekick minutes later and Md Hendra Azam watched it go just wide of the right post.
In turn, Maldives doubled their advantage with a superb freekick courtesy of Hamza to beat Haimie at full stretch in the 73rd minute.
He almost added another minutes later but fired just wide.
in the 82nd minute, Hakeme Said hit a freekick into the Maldives wall and it bounced into the hands of the keeper.
Things got a bit heated in the late stages of the match.
It was Maldives who put icing on the cake with substitute Hassan Raif Ahmed dealing the finishing blow late into stoppage time.
