PETALING JAYA: Brunei football skipper Azwan Ali Rahman has stepped up to steady his team after two harsh setbacks.
Azwan’s mission is clear and that is to lift the spirits and ignite the Wasps’ revival.
The 33-year-old has been working to rally his teammates ahead of tonight’s Super League clash against Kuala Lumpur at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Midfielder Azwan, who has been a mainstay at the club since 2013, admitted that the heavy 1-7 loss to Kuching City in the FA Cup round of 16 second leg on Sept 14 at home still lingers in the players’ minds.
They had won the first leg 3-1 but exited the FA Cup on a 4-9 aggregate.
They have also been winless in their first three outings in the Super League, drawing 2-2 with Police in their opener before suffering a 0-3 defeat to Selangor and a 0-5 drubbing against Terengganu.
“As captain, I constantly encourage the team to keep their heads up and keep fighting. That is what we have to do as professionals,” said Azwan, a left-footed playmaker, who is also one of the Brunei national team’s key figures.
Brunei are making a return to the Malaysian league after 17 years and so far, it has been far from easy.
“We know this is a different environment compared to what we’ve been used to. The Super League is competitive, with so many strong sides,” he said.
“The atmosphere in these games has been something new to us – a great experience – but we also want to make it even better.”
Understandably, confidence has taken a hit but Azwan insists belief is still alive within the squad.
“The mood in training has been different. We know we need to change our mentality and mindset if we want results to go our way,” he said.
“We’ve been learning from our past games, trying to get the basics right, and we’re determined to put things back on track against Kuala Lumpur.”
Coach Jamie McAllister has also been drilling his men hard, demanding discipline and focus after the FA Cup heartbreak.
