40 / 40
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020
Anunoby’s
buzzer-beater
gives NBA
champion Raptors
win over Celtics
Page 30
Brunei Press Sdn Bhd (Member QAF Group) Locked Bag No. 2, MPC Old Airport Road, Berakas), Bandar Seri Begawan BB 3510, Lot 8 11, Perindustrian Beribi II, Gadong, Negara Brunei Darussalam Tel: 245 1461 / 242 1760
LISBON (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo is a
doubt as Portugal start the defence of their
Nations League title against Croatia on
Sunday
(2.45am Brunei time)
in Porto and
Sweden on Wednesday
(2.45am Brunei
time)
in Solna.
Ronaldo is with the Portugal squad but
has a toe infection and did not train on
Wednesday or Thursday. He was instead
doing “gymwork”, the Portuguese football
federation (FPF) said.
Ronaldohas 99goals in 164 international
matches but the FPF, which has closed its
training camp to the press citing health
protocols, gave no indication whether he
will be it for either game.
Ronaldo has not played since early
August when Juventus were knocked out
of the Champions League by Lyon.
At 35, the ive-time Ballon d’Or winner
scored 37 goals in all competitions last
season, a record for a Juve player, and
insists he remains ambitious, laying out his
season ‘goals’ on Instagram last week.
“Victories. Commitment. Dedication.
Professionalism. With all my strength and
with the precious help frommy teammates
and all of the Juventus staff, we work once
again to conquer Italy, Europe and the
World!” he wrote.
Portugal are returning to the city
where as hosts they won the inaugural
Nations League in June 2019, beating the
Netherlands 10. Because Euro 2020 has
been postponed a year, they also remain
European champions.
In addition to Sweden, the four-team
group also includes France.
While Ronaldo is with the national squad
and could play, both Portugal and Croatia
will be without other star players.
The FPF said that another member
of the squad that won Euro 2016, Lille
midielder Renato Sanches, has been
released from the squad for unspeciied
medical reasons.
Croatia, meanwhile, have excused Luka
Modric and Ivan Rakitic from international
duties against Portugal and for aWorld Cup
inal rematch with France on Wednesday
(2.45am Brunei time)
.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
PHOTO: XINHUA
Ronaldo a doubt
as Portugal
prepare to face
weakened Croatia
LONDON (AFP) - Iceland will forever bear a scar
for English football after an embarrassing exit
at Euro 2016 to a country with a population of
less than one per cent than the pool on offer
to the Three Lions.
Four years on, the nations meet tomorrow
(midnight Brunei time)
in the Nations League
for the irst time since that fateful night in Nice
with the visitors in Reykjavik much changed in
personnel and mentality.
On l y s i x o f t he squad f rom Eu ro
2016 remain.
Among them captain Harry Kane, 27, and
RaheemSterling, 25, are now the senior igures
in a squad illed with youth, lair and far less
fear than the side that were wracked by self-
doubt after falling 21 behind just 18 minutes
into that famous defeat to Iceland.
Phil Foden, 20, and Mason Greenwood, 18,
have been handed their irst senior call-ups
after impressing for Manchester City and
Manchester United respectively since football
returned from the coronavirus shutdown
in June.
They could be two of the beneiciaries of
the delay to the European championships for
a year with England one of the favourites for a
tournament they will largely play on home soil
next summer.
“They are realistic challengers,” said
England boss Gareth Southgate on Foden and
Greenwood’s prospects for Euro 2020.
For most other nations and even many
years in England’s recent past, they would
be certainties.
But both have to ight their way into
one of the most star-studded front lines in
international football already boasting Kane,
Sterling, Greenwood’s Manchester United
teammate Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho
of Borussia Dortmund, who has also been
linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer
for more than GBP100 million.
“If you are within football then you have
known about these two young players for a
long time,” Southgate added.
“You only have to speak with their clubs.
We have known from our junior teams with
England, the impact that they have had. Then
the question is at what point do you give them
the step up to play.
“We’re a year away from a European
Championship, let’s see if they can start to
break into that team and into that squad. It
gives us great competition for places.”
Neither player seems to lack conidence
when it comes to making an impact on
international football.
Greenwood has been hailed by former
England greats Alan Shearer and Wayne
Rooney for his ability to inish clinically off
either foot that saw him score 19 goals in his
breakthrough season for United.
Shearer has claimed his record of 260
Premier League goals could be under threat
and Greenwood did not shy away from that
target when he faced the media this week.
“Any young football player would want
to break records - and if you didn’t, there’s
something wrong,” he said.
“It’s always nice to have visions and goals
you set in your football career and that goes
for virtually any England forward, really.
“J u s t go ou t t he r e and do you r
best and break records and just be
remembered forever.”
Foden also has lofty ambitions as he
admitted he hopes to be the man to ill David
Silva’s shoes at City next season.
Named player of the tournament when
England won the under-17 World Cup three
years ago, Foden also differs from previous
generations that have failed to live up to
expectations by already experiencing success
at international level.
He and England’s new generation still have
to prove themselves at senior level, but they
are providing far more cause for optimism than
the crop that will forever be remembered for
crumbling to Iceland.
Fear factor long gone as England embrace Iceland reunion
The National Football Association of Brunei
Darussalam (NFABD) has initiated the process
of assembling a national team following
a training session for potential players
at the NFABD Football Field in Berakas
last night.
The training session featured players who
are based in domestic clubs from the Brunei
Super League (BSL), of which the list of
players is obtained from Technical Director
Sivaji Narayan, and is accompanied with an
experienced coaching management.
This was shared by Assistant Coach Haji
Mohammad Halimi bin Haji Abu Bakar in an
interview with the media at the NFABD House
in conjunction with the training session.
The youngest player in the training session
is an 18-year oldwhile the oldest player is Sairol
Sahari, who is listed by the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC).
“As informed by the Technical Director, the
AFF Suzuki Cup could be held in April next year
so we have time to look for new talents who
will be absorbed into the national team.”
“We have been given a mandate to hold
a training session and ind talented players
to take part in the AFF Suzuki Cup or any
competitions which are organised by FIFA
and Asian Football Confederation (AFC),” he
further added.
The coach i ng t eam a l so boas t ed
international experience led by Mohammad
NFABD begins search for
players to form national team
Players taking part in a training session PHOTO: FADHIL YUNUS
Fadhil Yunus
Ali bin Mustafa as head coach backed by
assistant coaches Haji Mohammad Halimi and
Haji Zainuddin bin Kasim.
Ali previously managed the Brunei under-16
team in an international competition while Haji
Zainuddin had been in charge for the national
team in World Cup qualifying.
The coaching line-up also included itness
coach Pengiran Sallehuddin bin Pengiran
Haji Damit and goalkeeper coach Sabri bin
Haji Ismail.
According to Haji Mohammad Halimi,
training will be held for four consecutive days
until next Monday.
The assistant coach shared that the
objective of training is to assess the credibility
and ability of the players.
“We want to see the understanding of the
player on the training and tactics which we
provide according to the current standards,”
he added.
On his hopes for the team, he said, “I
nsya
Allah
, we want to see our nation succeed and
as a coach, I want to see our troops succeed
and position Brunei in the world map.”
Among the fresh faces included Wijaya FC
goalkeeper Awangku Ashraf bin Pengiran Jaledi
and Kasuka FC talent Aisan Aizudin.