JAKARTA (12 Nov 2011) – His frame is somewhat in the middle but as far as his technique and his determination were concerned, Brunei striker Adi Said is definitely one of the best players at the SEA Games this years.
And he is certainly a crowd favourite at this year’s biennial championship where each time, he touches the ball the expectant crowd at the Lebak Bulus Stadium were just waiting for him to deliver a dazzle.
“I always try my best even though sometimes it is hard to play as the lone striker upront,” said Adi, who recently moved from Majra FC to the more professional outfit in Brunei – DPMM FC.
“But I think that our performance is not bad for a side which has been on the side line for the past ten years. The SEA Games has allowed us to gauge our capabilities and we should not be ashamed of where we stand.
“We fought in every match and we were not outplayed.”
Among the games which will go down in history as one of the best game this year would be the Brunei-Laos clash. Down to ten men and a 1-0 deficit to a strike from Laos captain Lamnao Singto, the speedy Adi sped to nail two quick goals before they were let down in the end by poor fitness to draw the game 2-2.
“He is the one player in our team who can cause problems for opposing defenders,” said Dayem Ali, the chief coach of Brunei. “Watching him in training every day, he has that striker’s instinct.”
Brunei had opened their campaign with a 2-1 loss to Timor Leste before drawing Laos – the 2009 semi-finalists – to a 2-2 draw. They then stumbled to a 4-0 humiliating loss to Myanmar in their third match.
The Sultanate side will take on Group B leaders Vietnam later today before wrapping up their campaign at the SEA Games against the Philippines in two days.
After three matches, Brunei have only picked up one point.
SEA GAMES 2011 RESULTS and FIXTURES
GROUP B
DATE | MATCH | GROUP | KICK OFF | VENUE | ||
03.11.2011 |
VIETNAM 3 | vs | PHILIPPINES 1 |
B |
1600 hrs |
GELORA BUNG KARNO |
LAOS 2 | vs | MYANMAR 3 | 1900 hrs | |||
04.11.2011 | REST DAY | |||||
05.11.2011 |
BRUNEI 1 | vs | TIMOR LESTE 2 |
B |
1600 hrs |
LEBAK BULUS |
MYANMAR 0 | vs | VIETNAM 0 | 1900 hrs | |||
06.11.2011 | REST DAY | |||||
07.11.2011 |
TIMOR LESTE 2 | vs | PHILIPPINES 1 |
B |
1600 hrs |
LEBAK BULUS |
LAOS 2 | vs | BRUNEI 2 | 1900 hrs | |||
08.11.2011 | REST DAY | |||||
09.11.2011 |
MYANMAR 4 | vs | BRUNEI 0 |
B |
1600 hrs |
LEBAK BULUS |
VIETNAM 2 | vs | TIMOR LESTE |