Fadhil Yunus
Naziruddin bin Haji Ismail of Indera SC edged Abu Suffian bin Haji Adanan of Kota Ranger FC 8-7 in aggregate to emerge the inaugural champion of the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) eFootball FIFA 21 Tournament at the NFABD House in Berakas yesterday.
Abu Suffian took the first leg of the tie with a 5-3 victory and had at one stage run riot with a flurry of goals with his France team.
However, Naziruddin kept himself within sight of a revival after narrowing the deficit to just two goals with his Real Madrid team in the late stages of an enthralling match.
Buoyed by his resurgence in form, Naziruddin continued his momentum in the opening stages of the second leg and completed the comeback with a 5-2 victory despite the efforts of Abu Suffian to salvage his own comeback.
NFABD President Pengiran Haji Matusin bin Pengiran Haji Matasan lauded the efforts of the football competition committee to take the initiative to collaborate with the Esports Association of Brunei (ESAB) to organise a football event through electronic sport.
Pengiran Haji Matusin said, “Whether it is in the field or inside a hall, it is important to instil the spirit of competition. There must be confidence and determination to compete because what you face will hopefully bring you to a higher level in the future.”
The president said esports is popular and provides income opportunities. Organised by the NFABD in collaboration with the Esports Association of Brunei, 26 players from 15 teams competed in the two-day meet.
The teams were KB Football Club, Jerudong FC, Bakes FC, BSRC FC, DPMM FC, IKLS MB5 FC, Indera FC, Kasuka, Kota Ranger FC, MS ABDB, Panchor Murai FC, Rimba Star FC, Setia Perdana FC and Wijaya FC.