[FM24] Backpacking in Asia - Destination 7: Maldives

[corinthiano]

South and Southeast Asia are well known hotspots for backpackers, from the beaches of Bali to the Himalayas in Nepal and very popular countries in between that like India and Thailand. I have personally been to a couple of those, having spent a couple of weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia right after university finished. As much as these countries offer in terms of travel, football is not something they are known for. And that is something we will explore here.

The Premise

Much like my West Africa save, the idea here will be to hop around countries in South and Southeast Asia and win the national league with a team that has not won it before. I will start with the lowest rep league and work my way up, with Thailand being the last country. As rep of the leagues changes so will the order we will travel in, but Thailand will remain fixed and become the north start of the save due it being the number one backpacking destination in the World and a personal tie with the character I am creating. In terms of the countries chosen, I am taking all countries listed in South and Southeast Asia regions, but taking out Afghanistan and Pakistan to reduce the number of countries and because I can fit them under a future "-stan" save . This means we will have 17 countries to travel to, 2 more than the West Africa save but something that I think is manageable during a save.

The Manager

Enter Niran Reisemann, born in Buxtehude to a German father and Thai mother, he always wanted to go back to his mother's country but his lack of direction means there will be a massive detour in his journey . His name meaning tied to his challenge as Niran is a Thai name meaning "Eternal", which he will need to be to win 17 league titles, and Reisemann means Travelling Man, which he will very much be in this save. He has the lowest experience possible and no badges, so will be starting fresh on his journey.

The Beginning

The Liga Amdora Futebol Primeira Divisão in Timor-Leste is ranked a very low 91st division in Asia and will be our starting spot. Not exactly a tourism hotspot, but it does have some hidden beauty. Niran will travel to the country unemployed and see what jobs pop up there.

[corinthiano]

Destination 1 - Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is a Southeast Asian nation located on the eastern half of the island of Timor, sharing borders with Indonesia to the west. It consists of the main island of Timor and several smaller islands, with Dili as its capital and largest city. The country has a population of approximately 1.3 million people and recognizes both Tetum and Portuguese as its official languages.

Timor-Leste has a complex history marked by colonization and conflict. It was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century and remained under Portuguese control for several centuries. In 1975, following Portugal's decolonization process, Timor-Leste declared independence but was subsequently invaded by Indonesia. This occupation lasted for 24 years and was characterized by significant human rights violations and violence. In 1999, a UN-sponsored referendum led to a vote for independence, which sparked further violence. Timor-Leste became a fully sovereign nation on May 20, 2002, marking the end of a long struggle for self-determination.

The economy of Timor-Leste is heavily reliant on its oil and gas sector, which accounts for the majority of government revenue and export earnings. The country has substantial offshore oil reserves, particularly in the Timor Sea. Agriculture also plays a crucial role, with many residents engaged in subsistence farming. Despite its natural resources, Timor-Leste faces challenges such as high unemployment rates, poverty, and underdeveloped infrastructure, which hinder broader economic development.

Timor-Leste boasts stunning natural landscapes, including pristine beaches, rugged mountains, and vibrant coral reefs, making it an emerging destination for eco-tourism and adventure travel. Popular activities include diving, snorkeling, trekking, and exploring its rich cultural heritage. The historic town of Dili features sites such as the Cristo Rei statue and the Resistance Museum, while the surrounding areas offer opportunities for cultural immersion and interaction with local communities. While still developing its tourism infrastructure, the country’s unique experiences and warm hospitality attract visitors looking for off-the-beaten-path adventures.

Football in Timor-Leste

Football is one of the most popular sports in Timor-Leste. Introduced during Portuguese colonial rule, the sport gained popularity despite the challenges posed by the Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999. Following independence in 2002, football emerged as a symbol of national pride, with the formation of the Football Federation of Timor-Leste (FFTL) and the establishment of the national team, known as "The Timorese." Success has been very limited at international level in just over 20 years of independence and the local league has barely been run. The Super Liga Timorese was founded in 2004 but folded in 2010, with the current version of top flight football only being re-instated in 2016. With such a short history there isnt a dominant side, but you could argue Karketu Dili is the biggest side in the country with 2 title wins.

That being said, the teams all have a very low reputation and are all semi-professional, so there is probably a level playing field here. There are three jobs available from the start of the game, Lalenok Utd being the highest profile one but ineligible, which leaves us with either Atl. Ultramar/Coração FC or AS Académica. Hopefully we can get started with one of those two.

[corinthiano]

Académica e Sporting de Timor

Académica e Sporting de Timor are an Amateur club based in the capital of Timor-Leste, Dili. It is a merger between two clubs formed whilst under Portguese rule, Académica de Timor and Sporting Clube de Timor. They have been ever present in local football and were part of the inaugural Liga Amador in 2016, where they achieved their highest finish of 4th place. They were relegated a few years later but came back up in 2022.

They play their football in the Estádio Municipal de Dili, where the national team and all the other main teams in the capital play.

Strongest XI

I would typically show the first XI here but with only 4 players at the club this will be difficult, so let me just show them

Experienced goalkeeper

Young Indonesian defender.

Experience left back, always welcome attacking full backs with my formation.

Young Indonesian striker.

Finances

Not a lot of money around, but we are Amateur so guess that is OK.

Initial Fixtures

The league is VERY short here. Ten 10 teams, each play each other once, top teams wins the title, bottom two relegated. All within 4 months. So guess a good start is key and we need to start putting a team together, we have about 3 weeks to do that...

[corinthiano]

February 2023

So I have a policy about signing staff only through job adverts and players only if they have been found by my staff/scouts. That was not ideal here as by the time all of that happened the transfer deadline was approaching and we only managed to sign two players, so now we will play the season with 6 players in total . Focus then is just on surviving the season and things got off to a terrible start as we went down 2-0 to Aitana in the first half. We did pull back 2-2 but then our defender decided to clear a ball straight at their striker who took it and scored a late winner. Thankfully this did not affect the players and they secured a decent first win against Emmanuel FC in the second game to get Niran's first win as a manager.

Transfers

In

We managed to get another defender and striker in before the transfer deadline. We did sign some other players after that but because I can't register them I will not show them right now.

By far better than the existing striker Yano.

And similar here, by far better than the other centre back we already have.

Next Fixtures

Three games next month will take us just over halfway into the league campaign and I'll be happy with enough points to keep us above 9th.

 

[corinthiano]

March 2023

I can't complain with an unbeaten month and it should perhaps have been more as we were the better side in our other two draws. With 4 games to go we are 5 points clear of relegation and that is an excellent place to be.

Next Fixtures

There is a two week break before we enter the final month of the league season. We will play the top 3 teams so I don't expect results to be as good as March.

[corinthiano]

April 2023

As predicted we were not going to do as well this month, but other than the Porto Taibesse game we were not outplayed so I have to be happy. Talking of them they choked and lost the title to Karketu Dili on the last game...

Facilities

The club is generating money so I asked for improvements but only Junior Coaching was approved.

Next Fixtures

We now have a long 200 days until we get to play in the cup, which runs from November to December. Lots of time to sign players

[corinthiano]

November/December 2023

200 days and a whole team signed make a huge difference . We were comfortable in all games other than the classic against Porto Taibesse, where they came back from 2-0 down to take a lead late on but we equalized in 86th minute before taking the game in extra time. This also leaves me very confident for the league campaign next year as it looks like we can certainly fight at the top now.

[corinthiano]

2023 Season Review

It was certainly a rough start with only 6 players for our league campaign, but we survived which was the main goal. The cup is a very promising sign for next season as we are very much deserved winners and managed to give the club their first trophy!

Squad by Appearances

So obviously not a lot of games because we didnt have players for most of the season. Some of the original 6 lost their spot for the cup and with everyone on amateur or part time contracts in the country I would not be surprised at another overhaul in the offseason.

Best Eleven

Top Performers

4 Assists and a goal in 4 games is nothing short of a spectacular return for a left back.

His experience has certainly been helpful, as well as a hattrick in the final.

Has been a solid addition up front.

Finances

We are swimming in money but despite that the board will not sanction any improvements or courses.

Progress

Great first season of the save and I believe we can challenge to complete Timor-Leste next season.

[corinthiano]

2024 Season Preview

Our odds went up significantly this year as we are second favorites to win the title, although we don't have any players in the Media XI and none of them have any interest in joining us as apparently our squad is not strong enough, so go figure  - I still think we'll have a t least a decent season and will do much better than what the board wants which is just to avoid relegation.

Transfers

In

Only a couple of them in the pre-season, with Ati a good forward option and Lay someone to help out in mdifield.

Best XI

We have enough players for a Best XI

Initial Fixtures

We start with two theoretically easy games so hopefully we can make that count.

[corinthiano]

February 2024

We got massively FM'd in the first game as we had 2.89 xG vs theirs 0.78 but had to score a late goal to rescue a draw. We did make up for it by convincingly beating Ponta Leste so we are still on track.

Transfers

In

Out

Fernando and Zacarias just missed the registration deadline so unfortunately we will only be able to use them in the cup later in the year. Melchior and Nicolau were unhappy about their place being under threat but seeing as they were fringe players I released them. The beauty of Amateur football

Next Fixtures

We only play title challengers in March and it will be key in determining where we play this season.

[corinthiano]

March 2024

The month started well with a convincing win over then leader Benfica Laulara, but it went downhill from there. We drew with DIT in an even game and I thought we were still in the title fight by then, but the loss against Karketu Dili puts us 5 points behind with 4 games to go which is too much to make up.

Transfers

Out

Some players are becoming unhappy at lack of playing time and if they are fringe players I am releasing them.

Next Fixtures

We finish our league campaign against teams at the lower half of the table so I am hoping for a strong end to the league season.

[corinthiano]

Facility Improvements

After pestering the board for almost a year on a monthly basis they finally decide to hand us a bunch of improvements. The training facility improvements wipe out pretty much all of our money but we'll make it back soon enough. We now have Average Junior Coaching and Basic Youth Recruitment.

[corinthiano]

April 2024

A mixed end to the season in which we could have won the league if we were 100% this month, but we were terrible against Porto Taibesse and then let Aitana score twice in the last 8 minutes to blow a two goal lead. I should be happy with 4th but we could and maybe should have done more this season.

Next Fixtures

It is now that long wait until the cup comes around and time to improve the squad.

[corinthiano]

I will be doing my usual game world reviews, this one will be short, going over results in the main Asian continental competitions, ranking of South/Southeast Asian leagues and champions in the countries loaded in this save. It will be in the middle of the year as the continental leagues end around that time.

2023/24 Asian Review

AFC Champions League  Elite

Jeonbuk beat Saudi Arabia's Al-Fayha to win their 3rd title. Johor DT and Buriram Utd are the only teams from South/Southeast Asia to make it to the knockouts, both out in the Last 16.

AFC Champions League Two - Al Zawra'a from Iraq beat Central Coast Mariners to win their first ever title. Odisha are the best South/Southeast Asian with a Semi Final appearance in the Interzone Playoff (effectively the Quarter-Final)

South/Southeast Asian League Rankings

No movement in the first 18 months, with the Thai League the best in the region as 8th in Asia.

League Champions

It is always interesting going through these for the first time, but this one was particularly interesting as there were a lot of new champions and very few countries with dominant teams. Some of these only account for the latest version of the top league in the country and I may adjust that as and when I travel through different countries.

 

[ryanlion28]

Interesting region to play football! I love the small countries like Timor Leste, not surprised their clubs have Portuguese name/badge influence

[corinthiano]

14 hours ago, ryanlion28 said:

Interesting region to play football! I love the small countries like Timor Leste, not surprised their clubs have Portuguese name/badge influence

Yes in most former Portuguese colonies there is some version of at least a Porto and a Benfica

[corinthiano]

Couple more improvements, we have by far the best set-up in the country now.

[corinthiano]

November/December 2024

Retaining the title was certainly tricky, especially as we turned the game against Lalenok Utd in the last 10 mins and were fortunate to make it to the final after penalties versus DIT, but I am very happy to have claimed back to back titles here.

Transfers

In

Some more decent signings to make our first XI stronger.

Great goalkeeper but between injuries and call ups has not played for us yet, expect him to be solid next year.

Solid DLP.

Great AP and still very young.

Absolute star and by far best player at the club.

[corinthiano]

2024 Season Review

You have to be consistent in a 9 game league and we were not, I thought we could have put up a better challenge in the league but at least we are improving and winning another cup was a nice bonus at the end of the season.

Squad by Appearances

A surprising number of appearance makers considering we had a 13 game season. Shoutout to Nicodemus Soares who is the first youth product in the mix for the first team, helping pay off some of the facilities investments.

Best XI

Anizo Correia making the Best XI with 2 appearances shows how good he is.

Top Performers

If he is in the Best XI he has to be here, really looking forward to seeing what he can do in the league next season.

Naturally a winger, he does well as a DLF in our tactic.

One of two players to start every game, was solid for us in midfield.

Finances

Despite spending $160k in Training Facility improvements we only made a $13k loss and our balance is back over $100k already.

Progress

It is nice to have improved in the league but I am hoping for a stronger title push next season.

[corinthiano]

First interview offer since Reisemann got his first job, Lalenok Utd have won the title before so no thank you.

[corinthiano]

2025 Season Preview

We made some excellent signings and with 4 players in the Media XI we are now overwhelming favorites to win the title. The board also expects us to do so, the pressure will be on if we don't win it or at least challenge strongly this time out.

Transfers

In

Out

We raided Karketu Dili for their best players, I had been trying to sign them for a while but they were never interested until now. I guess that could be due to improved rep and facilities. On the outgoing front a couple of players were unsettled by the new signings so I released them along with youngsters that were not going to make the cut.

Best defender at the club now.

Probably the best player in the league, will play AP or Mezzala for us.

East Timorese international will form a great partnership with Correia up front.

Solid defensively minded midfielder, not sure if I will use him as DLP or BBM yet.

Assistant XI

Looking very good going forward now.

Initial Fixtures

Lets see if the squad improvements translate into results, we will need a good start.

[corinthiano]

February 2025

Good start with Rickie Cruz particularly on fire. The win against Aitana was somewhat overshadowed by Kamare getting injured for 4-5 weeks, but hopefully we can soldier on without him.

Next Fixtures

Looking to keep the momentum going.

[corinthiano]

March 2025

We keep winning and remain top. We have not been excellent, but have been consistent and Rickie Cruz seems to always be able to find the net. Karketu Dili are hot on our tails despite us signing 3 of their best players and they look like they will be our challengers.

Next Fixtures

The potential title decider is up next against Karketu Dili and Kamare will be back for that, which is great news.

[corinthiano]

Managed to convince the board of another couple of improvements and we are now to Good Academy Coaching and Average Youth Recruitment.

[corinthiano]

April 2025

We won the all important game against Karketu Dili after coming from behind and that set us up for the title win. Ricki Cruz got injured in that game but Das Dores came in for him and scored enough to make sure we did not miss him. It went to the final round but Karketu Dili drew their last game which meant we were assured the title before we played. Our players followed that up with probably the worst display in my time here as we were dismantled in the first half by Assalam, but who cares at this point when the title is guaranteed and we'll be off to another country  

[corinthiano]

2025 Season Review

A short review seeing as the season is technically not over, but I am not sticking around for 6 months for the cup

Squad by Appearances

We had a pretty settled first eleven and barring injuries we mostly selected the same side. Shoutout again to 16 year old youth product Nicodemos Soares who started all 9 games.

Top Performers

Ruthless in front of goal with a goal per game before he got injured for the final stretch.

Very consistent down the right side.

He does have to be mentioned again. Was unhappy about a lack of playing time and I told him a day before Rickie Cruz got injured that he should not be expecting to start. Subsequently started the next 3 games and scored 5 goals  

Finances

We leave the club ins excellent financial shape and with the best facilities in the country.

Progress

After almost 3 years and three titles the first country is complete and Niran is packing his bag for the next destination. Timor Leste was fun as seasons were short, but the gap between league and cup during the season was a bit of a pain. Next up will be Brunei!

[corinthiano]

Destination 2 - Brunei

Brunei, officially known as the Nation of Brunei, is a small, sovereign nation located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Bordered by Malaysia and the South China Sea, With a population of approximately 460,000, the country is primarily Malay, with significant Chinese and indigenous communities. The official language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu), although English is widely spoken, especially in business and government.

Brunei has a rich history that dates back to the 7th century when it was a thriving maritime trading hub. In the 14th century, it became an Islamic sultanate, with Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1524) expanding its territory significantly. During the 19th century, Brunei faced challenges from colonial powers and signed treaties with Britain, becoming a British protectorate in 1888. This status lasted until gaining independence on January 1, 1984. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who ascended to the throne in 1967, has since played a crucial role in modernizing the country while maintaining its Islamic heritage and traditional values.

Economically, Brunei is heavily dependent on its oil and natural gas reserves, which account for the majority of its GDP and export revenues. The country is one of the wealthiest in the world, with a high GDP per capita due to its energy resources. Brunei has made efforts to diversify its economy, focusing on sectors like tourism, agriculture, and financial services, although oil and gas remain central to its economic stability.

Although tourism in Brunei is relatively low-key compared to other regions, the government promotes it as part of its economic diversification efforts, aiming to showcase the nation’s unique offerings while preserving its cultural identity and natural environment. Key attractions include the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, which is home to stunning landmarks such as the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, a magnificent example of Islamic architecture, and Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest residential palace. Brunei’s natural attractions include Ulu Temburong National Park, known for its pristine rainforests and biodiversity.

Football in Brunei

Football in Brunei is a popular sport that has been growing in prominence since its introduction in the early 20th century. The Brunei national football team, known as the "Wasps," represents the country in international competitions, with little success having failed to qualify for any major tournaments.

There has been competitive football in the country since 1985 but a league was only formally introduced in 2002 by the Brunei Football Association. The goverernment however de-registered the FA in 2008 from its register of Societies for failing to provide regular documentation. This led FIFA to suspend Brunei until 2011 when a new entity, the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam was created. This is when the current version of the top flight, the Brunei Super League, was created. Since then ABDB has dominated the league, although Kota Ranger has won the two in-game titles. Interestingly the countries biggest club, DPMM, actually play in the Singapore League to compete in a higher level competition.

In terms of eligible clubs there are a lot out there considering the low number of champions. It seems to be a relatively level playing field in the country with most teams Semi-Professional and some Amateur. The league is only 5 games in so no jobs are available, hopefully something pops up in the next months.

Edited August 11 by corinthiano

[corinthiano]

2024/25 Asian Review

AFC Champions League Elite

All-Ittihad win their 3rd Champions League title, with Thai and Malay sides getting to the last 16 again.

AFC Champions League Two

Shabab Al-Ahli from the UAE win their first ever continental title, with Persebaya from Indonesia the best representative from our nations with a Quarter Final appearance.

AFC Challenge League

This has been re-introduced for the first time in a decade and will be good for teams from our countries, as you can see by Bengaluru and Phnom Penh Crown making the Semi Finals. Istiqlol from Tajikistand are the winners and claim their second title.

South/Southeast Asia League Rankings

No movement here again.

League Champions

Still a lot of green here, although at least one of the new champions is our very own AS Académica. In the top leagues however all the biggest champions won the league title to claim their dominance in their country.

[corinthiano]

Persatuan Lun Bawang

Persatuan Lun Bawang are a semi-professional club from Pekan Bangar, a tiny town of 450 people in the Temburong exclave isloated from the main part of Brunei. The club is named after the ethnic group of the same name that is based in Central Borneo. The club joined the second tier when Brunei football started in the early 2000s, earning promotion in 2014 to the Brunei Super League by winning the Brunei Premier League, their only title to date. They pulled out of the now closed league in 2020 but were re-instated starting from 2023. In-game they have had a 7th and 14th finish and are continuing to languish towards the bottom of the 16 team league, which is why their previous manager was sacked.

Theoretically they play their games in the Batu Apoi Sports Complex, which I did not find in google. Insterad it re-directs me to the Temburong Sports Complex, so I guess this is where we pretend we will play. Also, apparently you can drive from Timor Leste to Brunei, only takes you 119 hours

Strongest XI

I can see why they are struggling, this is a really unbalanced squad, not a lot of bodies and the ones that are there are mostly not very good.

Top Rated Players

Best player at the club and a club favorite.

Young left back, seems like he could do a decent job initially.

Experienced central midfielder.

Finances

This is not bad, and we have wage budget to bring players in.

Initial Fixtures

They are not doing well and this is a busy time to be joining them, but with the board just wanting us to be competitive I don't think I will have a lot of pressure for the remainder of the season.

[oche balboa]

Nice work mate 

[KristianT]

In for a nice challenge there in Brunei. Well done in Timor Leste.

[corinthiano]

10 hours ago, oche balboa said:

Nice work mate 

8 hours ago, KristianT said:

In for a nice challenge there in Brunei. Well done in Timor Leste.

Thank you both! Yes I don’t think there were worse options to pick from in Brunei . The transfer window is also closed so that team will have to see us through to the end of the season.

[corinthiano]

August 2025

Liga Super Brunei

FA Cup Group C

This team is awful, and the league feels pretty awful too and a step down from Timor-Leste. It has been a struggle to create much and we have not won in the league since Niran took over, getting 2 draws and a defeat. On the plus side we got our first win against non-league side Menglait in the FA Cup and are through to the last 16.

Next Fixtures

Not a lot of games scheduled in September although I think the last 16 of the FA Cup may take place at some point too. Getting a first win in the league would be nice, but I am not too hopeful.

[corinthiano]

I pestered AS Académica for a coaching course for almost 3 years and with all the money they had they never backed it. Lun Bawang were a lot nicer considering I dont even have a league win for them yet.

[corinthiano]

September 2025

It felt like we were getting worse until we put an amazing performance together out of nowhere to beat second place Kasuka and get our first win in the league under my tenure. The FA Cup is a two legged affair but I think we are pretty much through against non-league side Al-Idrus.

Transfers

In

Even though I can't register Mohd in the league I thought it was worth signing him up. He played in the FA Cup and did a decent job.

Next Fixtures

The second leg of the FA Cup should be a formality and hopefully we can pick up some more points in the league.

[corinthiano]

October 2025

We went on a nice little run which gave me hope that we would move up the table but that quickly failed to materialize as we remain close to the bottom. In the FA Cup, a draw at IKLS-MB5 FC is a good result, but it could have been better as we were 2-0 going into half time...still puts us in a decent position for the return leg.

Next Fixtures

A couple more games in the league and our holiday after that is dependent on how well (or not) we do in the FA Cup.

[corinthiano]

November 2025

What a terrible end of the season, the board are not too happy about it and hopefully it doesnt lead to a sack.

Transfers

In

When a Brunei international becomes available for free you have to sign him, Wadud only played in the FA Cup this season but he will be very important for us next season.

Proof that Timor Leste is better than Brunei, Emiliano was a back-up in our previous club but is the absolute best right back we have here.

[corinthiano]

2025 Season Review

We did little to improve Lun Bawang's fortunes but it was a tough ask with no possibility to sign players for the league and a very young and very poor squad in our hands. The board are unhappy but I am hoping they keep us onboard as we have signed a few exciting players for next season.

Squad by Appearances

This is a squad that is made up primarily of very young youth prospects, so you cannot fault them for not being up to scratch.

Best XI

Top Performers

Had a decent goal to games ratio and unlucky to have been injured for a big chunk of the season.

Has been decent down the left, a shame that his mental attributes and personality are not good.

Decent midfielder, not always a starter since I joined.

Finances

Not bad as a little money is made.

Progress

Underwhelming season, but we'll improve the squad in the off-season and should improve a lot next season if the board keeps me on.

[corinthiano]

2026 Season Preview

It seems like we signed well as we are now second favorites to win the title according to the Media and the board wants a top four finish. No pressure then.

Transfers

In

Out

We effectively signed an entire new team and released players that were not going to make it to keep numbers down. Here are the players who will slot into the starting XI.

Good solid keeper that actually started his career at the club and has returned after 8 years.

Naturally a RB, he will feature as our BPD as he is more comfortable on the ball than our other centre backs.

Solid new DLP.

One of our best signings, Karim is in the Media XI for the league.

Great steal from champions Kota Rangers.

Young striker, not outstanding but hopefully enough to do the job.

Experienced signing for the DLF role.

Best XI

We are at our strongest in midfield with the other area not as good, but this team is so much better than what we had last season that I can't complain.

Initial Fixtures

It might take to gel, but I am excited to see what this team can do.

[corinthiano]

March/April 2026

I could not have asked for a better start in March as we go 100% with 3 convincing wins. In April we didnt play a game but some clubs did so the league looks a bit funny.

Transfers

In

Out

The "mid-season" transfer window opened at the end of April and will go into the end of May, we strengthened the squad further and with that released two players that were actually in the first team last season but now are not good enough to be in the 35 man squad that can be registered in the league.

A slight improvement at central defense.

Our midfield is already very strong but Mohd can challenge for a place in the first XI.

Comes in to be our starting RB at just 18 years of age.

Personal

The board has been nice and sent me on another coaching course.

Next Fixtures

The scheduling is not great as we have a ton of games in May and then just one game in June before another month break.

[corinthiano]

May/June 2026

The good form continues and we are a solid 4 points ahead of Kota Rangers after 11 games. Defensively we are shaky but we have been excellent going forward. Another great quality has been the teams resilience as we have rallied back in games a couple of times, such as against PDB where we scored a last minute winner and Kasuka where we got back from 2-0 to draw. The most important one was against Kota Rangers though where they were up 4-1 and completely outplaying us until the 60th minute when we staged a remarkable come back to get a point which enables us to have the lead in the league.

Next Fixtures

We dont play for a month and then have a somewhat busy July against mostly mid-table sides.

[corinthiano]

2025/26 Asian Review

AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Ittihad retain the title to win their 4th Champions League Elite. Progress from our countries too as Buriram Utd make it to the Quarter Finals and we have a first Vietnam appearance in this save with Ha Noi FC reaching the last 16.

AFC Champions League Two

The Middle East wraps this up again as Al-Jazira win their first title. Strong appearances from Thai sides as Muangthong Utd get to the Semi-Final and Bangkok Utd to the Quarters, with Malay sides KL City and Johor DT, as well as Persib from Indonesia making the Last 16.

AFC Challenge League

Its the Middle East again with Ahed from Lebanon winning their first title, but big kudos to Singapore who got two Semi-Finalists through, with Kota Ranger from Brunei and Kaya from the Philippines making up the other Quarter finalists.

South/Southeast Asia League Rankings

We finally see some movement, mostly at the lower leagues, where the Liga Super Brunei went past the league of Bhutan and Sri Lanka due to the performance of Kotar Rangers in the Challenge League. Other swaps are the Myanmar league overtaking the Maldives league and the Indonesian league shooting past the Singapore and Philippines leagues.

League Champions

A lot less green but worryingly we they happen in tow countries with small closed leagues, Singapore and Laos. I just hope we have teams with no league titles when we get to them . Starting to see dominant sides in some leagues, with Johor DT, Ha Noi FC, Bashundhara Kings and Maziya SRC the most notable examples.

Former League Champions

AS Académica: Lost in the Semi-Final of the cup last season, but comfortably retained the league title this season.

[corinthiano]

July 2026

A near perfect month in which our defence started getting a bit more solid. The draw against KB FC was the only blemish as we let them equalize in the second half despite dominating the game, but I can't complain too much when we are holding a 7 point lead over defending champions Kota Ranger.

Transfers

In

We are not exactly struggling for goals but Pundut is a significant improvement over Abdul Rahman so I had to go for him. He can't be registered for the league but will start in the FA Cup games.

Next Fixtures

The focus shifts slightly to the FA Cup this month as we navigate through the group stage. The top two get through and with two non-league teams in the group we should make it through safely.

[corinthiano]

The board kindly allowed me to start work on the highest National licence as soon as I completed the B licence.

[corinthiano]

August 2026

Liga Super Brunei

FA Cup Group C

A perfect month and things could not be going better. In the league we are 6 points ahead but have 2 games in hand and I am starting to feel confident about ticking off Brunei this season. Unless something goes very wrong we should not be losing 4 out of the last 10 games. In the FA Cup we comfortably qualified to the Last 16, including a 7-0 drubbing of non-league side Al-Idrus.

Next Fixtures

A win or a draw in the next game will go a long way in helping us secure the title. At some point we should have a FA Cup game as well.

[corinthiano]

September 2026

Ok I should not have been this optimistic...the two losses against Kota Ranger and IKLS-MB5 FC were deserved, but having 5 players out on international duty did not help in the draws against Kasuka and BSRC and now we are only 2 points ahead of Kota Ranger with 5 games to go. Not feeling so optmisitic now...

Next Fixtures

Time to focus on the league, I will play the second team in the second leg of the FA Cup to make sure we have rested legs for the AKSE game.

[corinthiano]

They are not eligible as they won the Super League in 2003, but entertaining this would not make sense even if they were.

[corinthiano]

October 2026

Of course we beat Najip-BAKES away from home in the FA Cup and then go and lose to them in league. Those were the only points dropped and we had two huge home wins to help us with goal difference. Luckily Kota Ranger also dropped points in a game so we still have a slight edge.

Next Fixtures

We had a game pushed out due to the FA Cup and have to play the last two league games in 3 days, with 4 players away on international duty...not ideal but at least Kota Ranger are in a similar situation, so hopefully we drop less points than them in the last games.

[corinthiano]

November 2026

 

It was tight but we managed to end the season ahead of Kota Ranger by the finest of margins both in the Super League and the FA Cup. In the league we needed to win our last two games to ensure we won the title and despite coming back from 2-0 against Setia Perdana we could not get ahead. It ended up not mattering as Kota Ranger lost one of their games and handed us the title. In the FA Cup we gave everyone a game to remember with a staggering 11 goals, 8 of them in the first half. We were always ahead and despite a late rally we held on to celebrate the double!

 

Edited August 22 by corinthiano

[corinthiano]

2026 Season Review

I did not imagine we would be able to win the title this season but after an excellent start it soon became a reality. We wobbled at the end of the season but managed to finish just ahead of Kota Ranger to end their three year reign in Brunei!

Squad by Appearances

With a lot of games during international callups and poor scheduling meaning we had fixture congestion at times during the season, we ended up using quite a few players, with only 3 players starting over 75% of games.

Top Performers

One of the players that was originally at the club when Niran arrived, Muhd was a deadly weapon down the left with 24 goal contributions in 24 games.

I did not expect the veteran to be this influential, but he was really effective at DLF and deadly from set pieces. He will retire in a month so managed to have a great final season.

Was really solid at AP and would have contributed more if he wasn't out injured for more than a month in the middle of the season.

Best XI

Cant argue with this, it was probably our strongest XI.

Finances

We were running at a slight loss but the winnings from the double make for a much healthier bank balance.

Progress

It was a relatively short stay in Brunei as the team just clicked this season and went from finishing near the bottom to conquering Brunei. It was an enjoyable time and nice to play in a league with football al year around, although the scheduling and constant missing players due to internationals were a bit frustrating. We now leave Southeast Asia for the first time and go to the Himalayas to explore Bhutan!