PETALING JAYA: Brazilian striker Dalberto Luan (pic) ended his four-match goal drought in style, scoring twice as Brunei came from behind to beat Kuching City 3-2 in the Borneo derby on Sunday.
Luan has not scored in his first four Super League appearances but got his act right at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The win lifts Brunei to fourth in the standings with nine points from five games, while Kuching remain third with 12 points from six matches. The 32-year-old Luan said the occasion was made even more special by the result.
“Scoring my first league goals means a lot and doing it twice in a night during the Borneo derby has made it a special night for me. I thank God for this moment,” said Luan.
“This will give me extra confidence going into the next match. I’ll keep working and believing in myself. I’m happy with my contribution to the team, and this result gives us something positive to build on.”
The hosts led in the sixth minute when Luan headed in a cross from right winger Farris Izdiham Awang Kechik. Kuching levelled in the 28th minute when Australian winger Dylan Wenzel-Halls curled in a freekick from the left to leave Brunei goalkeeper Samuel Somerville helpless.
Wenzel-Halls then put the visitors 2-1 ahead in the 50th minute, finishing off a pass from midfielder Ryan Lambert.
The match turned in the 62nd minute when Kuching’s Namibian midfielder Petrus Shitembi was sent off for a second yellow card.
Brunei levelled a minute later through captain Azwan Ali Rahman, who curled in a superb freekick from 25m.
Luan completed the turnaround three minutes later, finishing off a cross from Portuguese midfielder Miguel Oliveira.
The former Indonesian side Arema player said he was still settling into life in Brunei.
“I’m still adapting and getting to know the Malaysian League, but I see this as a good opportunity to grow,” he said.
“Having played in Indonesia, I understand how important it is to get to know both the football and the people around you.
“Every league offers different challenges, and I want to learn from this experience, improve my understanding with my teammates and become a more complete striker. Hopefully, we can give our supporters plenty of reasons to celebrate.”
