Under-16 footballers in action
during an earlier tournament
in Brunei. The national
under-16 team bowed out of the
Asian Football Federation (AFC)
Under-16 Championship after
losing 3-0 to Laos last night.
Picture: BT file
The national under-16 football team bowed out of the Asian Football Federation (AFC) Under-16 Championship on a losing note.
They recorded their third consecutive loss after falling to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Laos last night.
According to the AFC official website, Aphixway Thanakhanty gave Laos the lead after he found the back of the net in the 24th minute at the National Sports Complex in Vientiane.
The hosts doubled their lead through Soulivanh Nivone in the 36th minute after he beat Muhammad Ishyra Asmin Mohd Jabidi in between the Brunei sticks.
Laos would hold on to a 2-0 cushion at halftime.
The Sultanate managed to hold their ground in the second half before Salath Vilayphanh got his name on the scoresheet in the 84th minute to complete the victory.
The result means that Brunei finished Group H with one win and three losses.
Brunei started out their campaign on the right track after defeating Guam 4-1 last Saturday giving new coach Stephen Ng Heng Seng a winning debut.
Muhammad Syahmi Rashid netted a hat-trick while Nazirrudin Hj Ismail was the only other Bruneian to get his name on the scoresheet at the competition.
The Sultanate were brought back down to earth after losing 8-0 to Malaysia two days later before getting thrashed 9-0 by two-time champions South Korea on Wednesday.
In the earlier game, Malaysia defeated South Korea 2-0 at the same venue.
Muhammad Najmuddin Samat scored the first goal for Malaysia in first half stoppage time before Ashraf added another in the 61st minute.
Laos currently lead the five-team table over Malaysia based on goal difference. They are both on seven points from three games.
South Korea are in third with six points while Brunei will finish fourth in the group unless basement dwellers Guam pulls off an upset over Malaysia with a barrage of goals.
Brunei is one of 40 nations, divided into 10 groups, participating in the Sept 21-29 tournament.