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Azwan Saleh

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In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Saleh is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Azwan.
Azwan Saleh
Azwan with DPMM in 2024
Personal information
Full name Azwan bin Muhamad Saleh
Date of birth (1988-01-06) 6 January 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Midfield, Left-back
Team information
Current team
 DPMM FC
Number 6
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 QAF
2006– DPMM 191+ (12)
2010–2011 → Indera (loan)
International career‡
2007 Brunei U21 3 (0)
2008–2011 Brunei U23 4 (0)
2006– Brunei 35 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2024

Azwan bin Muhamad Saleh (born 6 January 1988) is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays for DPMM FC as a midfielder or left-sided full-back.[1][2] His patronym is oftentimes erroneously written as Salleh. He is currently the player with the most international appearances for the Brunei national football team with 34 caps.

Club career

Azwan first played club football with QAF FC in the B-League Premier I, gaining his first international appearances while his team was sent to represent the national team for regional qualifying tournaments of the likes of AFC Challenge Cup and the AFF Championship.[3] He transferred to the under-21 team of DPMM in 2007, initially playing as a striker.[4] He played deeper in midfield as the 2007-08 season progressed, which would be the final season DPMM played in Malaysia.[5] Moving to the Singaporean S.League in 2009 with his club, he was a key player for Vjeran Simunić who deployed him on the left side of DPMM's midfield.[6] Their season was ended abruptly due to FIFA's suspension of Brunei, but not before winning the League Cup.[7]

Azwan was loaned to Indera SC in 2010 while his parent club were barred from playing in the S.League.[8] The ban was lifted in 2012 and DPMM retained Azwan who started in their first game back against Tampines Rovers.[9] They replicated their League Cup success that year, with Azwan scoring a direct free-kick in the final.[10]

Due to the emergence of namesake Azwan Ali Rahman from 2014, Azwan switched to a more defensive role, surrendering the number 7 shirt in 2015.[1] He played in 15 games, half of them substitute appearances as DPMM won their first S.League title. He scored his first league goal in 3 years against Geylang International on 5 August via a long-distance shot with his weaker right foot.[11]

In 2022, Azwan added the Brunei FA Cup winner's medal to his collection by winning the trophy on 4 December against Kasuka FC 2–1 in the final on 4 December.[12]

On 22 September 2024, Azwan was given a rare start in place of the unavailable Azwan Ali Rahman by head coach Jamie McAllister against title contenders BG Tampines Rovers who were unbeaten in the league at that point. Playing his namesake and club captain's central midfield role, he lasted the whole match in a remarkable 3–2 victory for DPMM who recorded their first win at their Bandar Seri Begawan home ground of the season.[13] He would not make another appearance in the first eleven until 2 November against Albirex Niigata (S) where in the fifth minute of stoppage time, he gathered the ball in the middle of the pitch and released a strike from range that beat Hassan Sunny to win the match 2–3 to the away side.[14]

International career

Azwan was a member of the Brunei Under-21s for the 2007 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy held in his home country.[15] He also played for the Under-23s at the 2008 Sukma Games in Malaysia and captained the side at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.[16][17]

Azwan holds the record number of appearances for Brunei, with 34 caps to his name. His debut came in the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup in a 0–1 loss against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh. He scored on two occasions in AFF Suzuki Cup qualifying, one against Timor-Leste in 2008, the other against Cambodia in 2012.

Azwan was appointed captain of the national team for the two-legged 2018 World Cup qualifier against Chinese Taipei.[18] The team went down 0–2 at home after an encouraging 1–0 win at Kaohsiung.[19][20] Azwan joined up with the Wasps for the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification held in Cambodia in October 2016. With Najib Tarif injured since the first game, he was placed at left-back in the third game against Laos which ended in a 4–3 loss.[21]

Azwan started the first match of the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup in central midfield against Timor-Leste in Kuching, Malaysia. The match ended 4–0 to the Wasps in their biggest victory of date.[22] He played a total of four games for the Wasps at central midfield in the tournament.

Azwan was in line for an international recall in June 2019 for the 2022 World Cup qualification matches against Mongolia, but made himself unavailable due to unspecified reasons.[23] Three years later, he made his 27th international appearance against Malaysia away in Kuala Lumpur as a substitute in a 4–0 loss on 27 May.[24] In the same year, he clocked another appearance from the bench against Laos in a 1–0 win at Bandar Seri Begawan on 27 September.[25]

On 5 November 2022, Azwan scored the fourth goal against Timor-Leste in a 6–2 win for the Wasps at home in the 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup qualifying first leg match.[26] He also made a substitute appearance at the return leg three days later, helping Brunei qualify for the tournament after last competing in 1996.[27] He made three appearances in the group stage, including one from the starting lineup against the Philippines in a 5–1 defeat in Manila on 23 December.[28]

In June 2024, Brunei played two friendly games against Sri Lanka at their home ground, coached by DPMM's Rui Capela who selected almost the entire squad including Azwan. He gained his 34th international cap in the second game on the 11th as a substitute, where Brunei managed a 1–0 victory.[29] Later that year, he was selected for the away friendly against Russia on 15 November, and started the game in an 11–0 defeat.[30]

International goals

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 21 October 2008 National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia  East Timor 3–0 4–1 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification
2. 9 October 2012 Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar  Cambodia 3–1 3–2 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification
3. 5 November 2022 Track & Field Sports Complex, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei  East Timor 4–2 6–2 2022 AFF Championship qualification

Honours

DPMM

References

  1. ^ a b "Azwan, Shahrazen adjusts to life on the bench". The Brunei Times. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Team owned by Brunei Crown Prince splits Cambodia pre-season tour". Khmer Times. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  3. ^ "QAF FC For AFF Challenge". Borneo Bulletin. 7 February 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Tricky trip for injury-plagued DPMM". The Brunei Times. 10 March 2007. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Penang force DPMM draw". The Brunei Times. 6 April 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. ^ "DPMM FC out to maul Lions". The Brunei Times. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Wardun saves the day as DPMM FC win League Cup". The Brunei Times. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  8. ^ "Indera rely on DPMM FC connection". The Brunei Times. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  9. ^ "DPMM FC vs 'Barca'". The Brunei Times. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Azwan Salleh - Brunei's own free-kick specialist". The Brunei Times. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  11. ^ "DPMM FC top table". The Brunei Times. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Crown Prince joins group photo session with DPMM FC". Borneo Bulletin. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  13. ^ "2024/25 Singapore Premier League Matchweek 17: Roundup". Football Association of Singapore. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  14. ^ "DPMM FC secure 3-2 win against Albirex". Borneo Bulletin. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  15. ^ "TEAM MEMBERS". Information Department, Prime Minister's Office of Brunei. 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Sukma: Brunei Football Upbeat". Borneo Bulletin. 22 May 2008. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  17. ^ "SEA GAMES 2011: BRUNEI HOPE TO CREATE MORE THAN JUST HISTORY". ASEAN Football Federation. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  18. ^ "'Biggest game of my life'". The Brunei Times. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  19. ^ "Brunei make history". The Brunei Times. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  20. ^ "World Cup dreams over". The Brunei Times. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  21. ^ "Brunei put up strong fight". The Brunei Times. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  22. ^ "Brunei beat Timor Leste". The Brunei Times. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Brunei national team set to miss nine key players". Borneo Bulletin. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Match Report of Malaysia vs Brunei Darussalam - 2022-05-27 - FIFA Friendlies". Data Sports Group. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Brunei beat Laos 1-0". Borneo Bulletin. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  26. ^ "Brunei take huge step for place in AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022". ASEAN Football Federation. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Brunei secure berth in AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup group stage". Borneo Bulletin. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Brunei lose 5-1 to Philippines in AFF meet". Borneo Bulletin. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  29. ^ "Brunei beat Sri-Lanka 1-0 in international friendly". DPMM FC. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  30. ^ "Football Union of Russia vs Brunei: Friendlies - BBC Sport - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
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