The Under-23 Brunei national team will be sent by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) to compete in 26th South-East Asia (SEA) Games in Indonesia.
The team is scheduled to play in Group B stage along with Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Timor Leste and Myanmar. The Wasps’ first match will be played on November 5 against Timor Leste at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Fifa banned Brunei two years ago after the government abolished the former Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (BAFA) unilaterally.
The Government then formed a new association in December 2008 but was never recognised by Fifa. According to Fifa’s statutes, the Government of Brunei has intervened in domestic football matters.
Brunei’s last appearance was in the 2001 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur before the suspension. The suspension was lifted on May 31 after ascertaining that the national associations had fulfilled the conditions established by the Fifa Emergency Committee and approved statutes in line with the Fifa Statutes.
Brunei have also been chosen to be a host for 29th SEA Games in 2017, which will be the second time it has held the tournament after the 1999 edition in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.
(Eric Noveanto/Goal)
