AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers: Thoughts on Brunei’s shocking withdrawal
A few weeks ago in the start of the season, Cebu Queen City United Football club failed to show up for their opening UFL Division 2 game against Dolphins, and have apparently pulled out of the league.
On Wednesday Brunei one-upped them by doing the same thing, only in International play.
“Due to unavoidable circumstances Brunei Darussalam is unable to participate in the upcoming Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers scheduled to be held in the Philippines from March 22 to 26” said the Brunei Darussalam Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports permanent secretary Dato Paduka Haji Mohammad Hamid Haji Mohammad Jafar.
My first thought upon reading this was: “Permanent secretary? People have lifetime employment there? Maybe that's why there are problems, because no one can get fired.”
Brunei has a history of making a mess of Football.
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In 2008 FIFA suspended them because their government interfered in the BAFA, or Football Association of Brunei Darussalam when they tried to abolish it and start a new governing body.
FIFA doesn't take kindly to these sort of things and didn't lift the suspension until 2011.
Apparently Football politics in Brunei are much worse than they are here.
Brunei fans have expressed their anguish on the Brunei DS Football page. Most of the comments are in Malay but there are a few in English.
“Please clarify unavoidable circumstances. I agree on banning Brunei from FIFA. The key word in this article which supports the banning is 'Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.' Brunei was banned because of government interference and now they're repeating the mistakes they didn't learn (sic)” said one Riffeen Haha.
“I feel ashamed for this” bemoaned one Adi Alif.
One Brunei Tweep, a certain @abearfromSEA tweeted “(I'd) rather follow kampong (barangay) Football than this.... so don't blame me if I say I will not waste my time follow whats happening in Brunei Football (sic).”
For certain Brunei will face stiff sanctions for their no-show.
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AFC Challenge Cup regulations (I have the 2012 edition, I presume the rules have remained the same for the 2014 competition) Section 3 No. 25 outlines some pretty nasty punishments for teams that fail to show up for games.
Brunei will have to pay compensation for damages incurred by the participating member associations, and commercial and TV partners. The amount will be determined by the AFC Executive Committee.
All stipends given to them by the AFC for the tournament must also be returned.
But more damningly, Section 3-25 iv gives the biggest sanction: Brunei will now be unable to join the next two editions of the Challenge Cup, both qualifying and final stage.
According to goal.com's Khalis Rifhan, the Brunei players are up in arms and had much to say, although they refused to allow themselves to be identified by name.
“I have experienced this situation three times. How can we be a good example to the younger generation if there is still internal conflict?
Said another player “Look at the neighbors, they have no excuse not to participate in any tournament, even the not-so-well-to-do countries are able to join. I feel upset and ashamed that such things have happened again.”
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You must feel for the members of The Tebuan (Wasps). An entire generation of players will be deprived of international exposure because of the incompetence of its officials.
My commentary partner Darren Hartmann knows the feeling. He was supposed to be on a Philippine U23 squad for the SEA games, I presume 2007, but the powers-that-be suddenly pulled the plug on their participation because they supposedly had no chance to medal.
Darren was so distraught that he cried.
The withdrawal of the Tebuan affects the Philippines massively too.
It means that Neil Etheridge, serving an additional one-game ban because of improper decorum in the 2012 Challenge Cup 3rd place game (while serving his initial ban from his semifinal red card), can only play one game.
Coach Michael Weiss must now play Roland Müller in Sunday's Cambodia game, and now the likelihood that he will go ahead and play the MSV Duisberg reserve in the Turkmenistan game on Tuesday too surely has grown.
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He could follow the logic that once the team plays one game with Roland, then switching keepers might be just an added impediment to team cohesion.
The coach was already leaning on playing Müller anyway based on his recent current appearances for his German club.
Brunei owes Neil a beer, and perhaps much more.
Brunei's absence throws the entire qualification process asunder. According to my colleague Roy Moore's outstanding article in another online news service, AFC regulations do cover a situation like this, where one group has fewer teams than the other groups.
Moore says that there is a complicated formula that, shockingly, might stop previously qualified teams from progressing.
Appendix 2 says that in the event that there will be a group with less teams, the result between the runner up team in the group and the bottom team (for groups with more games) would be declared null and void.
If that were to be followed then Laos and not India could make the final stage.
(There are 20 teams in qualifying for eight slots in the Maldives final stage. The 20 teams are in five groups of four, with the group winners and top two second-placers qualifying along with host Maldives. Group E, the Philippines' group, is the last to play, the rest have already been concluded.)
That would create a pretty big stink in the AFC.
Fortunately the Philippines still controls its destiny. Wins over Cambodia and Turkmenistan mean they will be in Maldives next year no matter what, and we will be spared from any mathematical gymnastics.
It does, however, pretty much doom us in the event of a shock opening loss to Cambodia.
Having only one game, and not two, before the big clash with Turkmenistan could hurt the Philippines, especially since this bunch hasn't trained with each other much and new striker Javi Patiño has never played with them. It can be argued that two games of playing “getting to know you” are better than one.
The other drawback: if the schedule is followed, Turkmenistan gets an extra two days of rest between their Friday opener against Cambodia, and the match versus the Azkals on Tuesday. The Azkals will play Cambodia on Sunday. Instead of playing Brunei on that day, Turkmenistan will take the day off.
On the flip side, just two games means the aging legs of centerbacks Juani Guirado and Rob Gier will face less wear against the Turkmen. That could be a plus.
At any rate, the 25 Green Bleachers tickets I bought for church friends for Friday will have to be returned and refunded. Ticketworld and PFF, please don't let us down on this one.
Besides, according to Section 3-25, you can send the bill to the Brunei Football Association.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
