| Fadhil Yunus |
BRUNEI Darussalam coach Kwon Oh Son hailed his charges for their second-half performances in the comprehensive 4-0 victory over Timor Leste in their Group ‘A’ opener of the AFC Solidarity Cup 2016 at the Sarawak Stadium in Kuching, Malaysia on Wednesday.
The Wasps’ sub region rivals enjoyed the better chances as opposing striker Rufino Walter Gama came close to breaking the deadlock on a couple of occasions.
Both sides entered the break goalless as players were affected by a rain-soaked pitch after heavy downpour preceded kick-off.
However, the pendulum swung on Brunei’s favour after the interval following the introduction of Azwan Ali with the midfielder latching on Adi Said’s pass before placing his shot with Timor Leste goalkeeper Aderito Raul Fernandes off his line.
“The players adapted very well to the conditions and I think this great victory can lead to others. This was about the players’ performance and they did a fantastic job out there,” Kwon told AFC.
Kwon held a firm belief that they could outwit Timor Leste for a second time in a matter of weeks having given them hope in the AFF qualifiers in Cambodia last month.
“Of course it was difficult to play in those conditions but in football you have to expect the unexpected- you cannot play on nice green grass every time,” he added.
Kwon held a firm belief that they could outwit Timor Leste for a second time in a matter of weeks having given them hope in the AFF qualifiers in Cambodia last month.
“At half-time we tried to boost their performance and emphasised to them that they could win it. Then by scoring two goals they became confident.
“Ali was not fully fit so we were a little scared, but we tried to find the best solution to play him. He scored two goals, but, first of all, it was a fantastic team performance.” he concluded.
Meanwhile, two-goal hero Azwan Ali highlighted the success of the coach’s tactical approach after playing an instrumental role in the victory.
“So it was the coach’s tactics to bring me on to attack their full-backs and I think that’s what worked well in the second half,” said the DPMM FC star.
Azwan Ali was pleased with his contributions but echoed his coach’s sentiments on the importance of teamwork.
“I’m very happy to come off the bench and help my team by scoring two goals and taking three points in our first game, but it was all about teamwork.
“It was a soggy field and quite hard for the players in the first half as they felt it heavy on their legs,” he said.
Kwon revealed that the midfield maestro was not fully fit with the midfielder hoping that the extended break between matches will help him regain full fitness in time for the Nepal tie.
“Today I was a little injured and after I went on the pitch I felt it slightly during the game”, said Azwan Ali.
“But I think I can recover before the next game. There is time so we’ll see what happens.
“The first game is very important so today it was important we fought back and won the match,” he concluded.
The post Kwon hails players for second-half blitz appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.