ZULKIFLEE ZAINAL called on his players to be more focused after losing to Sarawak 4-2 last night in the men’s division of the 3rd Borneo Games.
The national hockey head coach saw his team surrender a 1-0 lead in the dying seconds of the first half at the National Hockey Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas, and though Brunei equalised early in the second half, a loss of concentration saw them let in two goals in the space of three minutes.
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Though they controlled most of the first half and created a few opportunities, the defending champions were unable to make the most of their chances and were made to pay with a goal from the influential Christnal Michael Jieng after the whistle had blown.
The other match saw Brunei’s women’s team lose to Sabah 3-0.
“We played a very good game but we were unlucky that we did not score in the first half,” said Zulkiflee after the men’s match. “Control, possession, time inside the D (scoring area) We had it all, just not the finishing. Letting in those goals, maybe they lost focus for a bit.”
“They must know how to control the tempo …. Hold the ball, play it fast, slow it down,” he added.
He did take some positives out of the match though, saying he was impressed with the determination of a few players — especially striker Hafizi Hashim who played despite twisting his right ankle on Sunday.
“I was not happy because he is a key player and he was injured. But you can see that the spirit to do whatever it takes is there, and we need to try and get more players like these in the team. If they want to play, they must know that they need this kind of attitude,” said Zulkiflee, who used to coach Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division powerhouses Ernst & Young HC.
Hafizi created Brunei’s best chance in the first half when he went one on one against Sarawak’s goalkeeper after receiving a pass on the left flank in the opening minute. The shotstopper was up to the challenge though, coming off his line to clear the danger, with Ak Hj Firdaus Pg Hj Ahmad also unsuccessful with the rebound.
The team opted to use their speed on the flanks in the first half and was constantly trying to get the ball to Hafizi and Ak Hj Firdaus.
Sarawak got into the game mid-way through the half and used a more direct route, hitting the ball into the scoring area and hoping for a deflection.
The Hornbills were dominating towards the end of the half and found the opener when Christnal scored during a penalty corner.
The hosts started the second half strongly and were rewarded five minutes after the restart, when with his back to the net, Muhammad Zikri Jauhari redirected a pass into goal to make it 1-1.
It was the only goal from open play, with the rest all coming from penalty corners. Brunei tried to add to their advantage after that but found it hard to break down Sarawak.
The competition takes a break today and will resume tomorrow with Sarawak facing Sabah in the men’s category at 4:30pm. The same teams face each other in the women’s category at 7:30.
The national women’s team meet Sarawak on Thursday at 4:30pm, with the last match of the pitting Brunei against Sabah in the men’s category at 4pm on Friday. The Brunei Times
The national hockey head coach saw his team surrender a 1-0 lead in the dying seconds of the first half at the National Hockey Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas, and though Brunei equalised early in the second half, a loss of concentration saw them let in two goals in the space of three minutes.
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Though they controlled most of the first half and created a few opportunities, the defending champions were unable to make the most of their chances and were made to pay with a goal from the influential Christnal Michael Jieng after the whistle had blown.
The other match saw Brunei’s women’s team lose to Sabah 3-0.
“We played a very good game but we were unlucky that we did not score in the first half,” said Zulkiflee after the men’s match. “Control, possession, time inside the D (scoring area) We had it all, just not the finishing. Letting in those goals, maybe they lost focus for a bit.”
“They must know how to control the tempo …. Hold the ball, play it fast, slow it down,” he added.
He did take some positives out of the match though, saying he was impressed with the determination of a few players — especially striker Hafizi Hashim who played despite twisting his right ankle on Sunday.
“I was not happy because he is a key player and he was injured. But you can see that the spirit to do whatever it takes is there, and we need to try and get more players like these in the team. If they want to play, they must know that they need this kind of attitude,” said Zulkiflee, who used to coach Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division powerhouses Ernst & Young HC.
Hafizi created Brunei’s best chance in the first half when he went one on one against Sarawak’s goalkeeper after receiving a pass on the left flank in the opening minute. The shotstopper was up to the challenge though, coming off his line to clear the danger, with Ak Hj Firdaus Pg Hj Ahmad also unsuccessful with the rebound.
The team opted to use their speed on the flanks in the first half and was constantly trying to get the ball to Hafizi and Ak Hj Firdaus.
Sarawak got into the game mid-way through the half and used a more direct route, hitting the ball into the scoring area and hoping for a deflection.
The Hornbills were dominating towards the end of the half and found the opener when Christnal scored during a penalty corner.
The hosts started the second half strongly and were rewarded five minutes after the restart, when with his back to the net, Muhammad Zikri Jauhari redirected a pass into goal to make it 1-1.
It was the only goal from open play, with the rest all coming from penalty corners. Brunei tried to add to their advantage after that but found it hard to break down Sarawak.
The competition takes a break today and will resume tomorrow with Sarawak facing Sabah in the men’s category at 4:30pm. The same teams face each other in the women’s category at 7:30.
The national women’s team meet Sarawak on Thursday at 4:30pm, with the last match of the pitting Brunei against Sabah in the men’s category at 4pm on Friday. The Brunei Times
