PETALING JAYA: Brunei’s Australian striker Jordan Murray could not have scripted a better return from a setback.
The 29-year-old Murray, close to full recovery from an ankle injury that had sidelined him from the first two Super League games, made a dream debut for his team by scoring the winner in their dramatic 3-2 FA Cup round-of-16 first-leg victory over Kuching City at the Petaling Jaya Stadium last Saturday.
For Murray, the goal made up for the weeks of frustration during his recovery.
“It was disappointing not being able to help the team and be part of the first two games,” said Murray.
“I’m still working on getting back to 100 percent. To score the winning goal meant so much to me, the fans and the team ... it’s something I want to experience over and over again.”
Murray’s decisive strike in the 78th minute - pouncing on James Okwuosa’s defensive slip before finishing coolly, capped off a stirring comeback for Brunei, who had earlier trailed 2-1.
It was a fitting introduction for a forward whose career has taken him across Asia.
Murray spent four seasons in India, playing for Kerala Blasters (2020-2021), two stints with Jamshedpur (2021-2022 and 2024-2025) and Chennaiyin (2023-2024) and a stint in Thailand with Nakhon Ratchashima (2022-2023) before making the switch to the Super League.
The move, he admitted, felt like the right next step.
“Playing in India and Thailand was a fantastic experience. Both are very strong leagues,’’ he said.
“When the opportunity came to joinBrunei and play in Malaysia, I was excited. I’d heard good feedback from friends about the team, so I was keen to come in.”
His arrival has added further firepower to a Brunei side already boasting quality in attack, with the likes of Indonesian hotshot Ramadhan Sananta and Malaysian attacker Syafiq Ahmad.
