PETALING JAYA: Coach Raja Isa Raja Akram Shah (pic) is on the brink of making history as the first Malaysian to lift a domestic football trophy in Brunei.
The 59-year-old tactician has been entrusted with leading Indera SC into the final of the Brunei FA Cup, set to take place tomorrow against defending champions DPMM FC II.
Raja Isa, whose coaching journey includes stints with eight clubs in Indonesia and a spell in Bangladesh, was officially appointed on May 9 by Indera’s management to take charge of the club for the highly anticipated final.
“This is a great honour and trust given to me by club owner Pengiran Anak Taha,” said Raja Isa ahead of the showdown at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.
“I hope the players stay focused and disciplined in executing our tactical plans, and that we can emerge as champions.”
Having guided Indera SC to a convincing 4-2 semi-final second-leg victory over MS ABDB by sealing a 7-3 aggregate win, Raja Isa is now just one win away from repeating Indera’s title success of the 2017-2018 season.
Despite only recently arriving in Brunei, the seasoned coach is already impressed with the footballing potential in the country.
“Brunei football has great prospects,” he said.
“With the right philosophy and cooperation from all levels, I believe Brunei can reach new heights.”
Now, as he prepares to lead his team into one of the biggest matches of the season, Raja Isa is not only chasing silverware but he’s also aiming to hoist the Malaysian flag high once again in South-East Asian football.
