Afindi Yati bin Tuah (born 30 May 1982) is a Bruneian footballer who plays as a forward for Kota Ranger FC of the Brunei Super League.[1] He is a journeyman in Brunei football, having appeared for eight Bruneian clubs in addition to the Brunei representative team that were playing in the Malaysian Liga Perdana 2 from 2001 to 2004.

Afindi Yati
Afindi in 2022
Personal information
Full name Afindi Yati bin Tuah
Date of birth (1982-05-30) 30 May 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Sengkurong, Brunei
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1998–1999 MSSSBD
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2003 Kasuka
2001–2004 Brunei (2)
2004–2005 Sengkurong
2005–2008 NBT
2008 DPMM 0 (0)
2012–2014 QAF (1)
2015 Jerudong (2)
2016–2019 Kasuka (5)
2020–2021 Wijaya (0)
2022–2023 Kota Ranger 5 (0)
International career
2000 Brunei U19
2002 Brunei U21 (2)
2003–2008 Brunei 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 August 2022

Club career

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Youth career

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Afindi attended Sengkurong Primary School and afterwards Sayyidina Husain Secondary School and was selected for what is nowadays called the Brunei Darussalam Schools' Sports Council (MSSSBD) sports scheme.[1] After a series of district-level accolades, Afindi joined Kasuka FC in 1999 and racked up a host of silverware under coach Moksen Mohammad.[2] Kasuka won the Pepsi Cup League in 2001, beating the already mighty DPMM FC in the final.[3][4]

Brunei (Malaysia Premier League team)

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Afindi also turned out for Brunei's national team that was in freefall two years after winning the Malaysia Cup, beginning with the 2001 Liga Perdana II.[5] It would be two seasons later when Afindi nets his first goal for the Wasps, the decider in a 2–3 win over Selangor MPPJ on 9 March 2003.[6] The return of Brian Bothwell boosted the team that was pushing for promotion but a slow start to the season proved detrimental as Brunei finished fifth and outside the Malaysia Super League play-offs, only due to goal difference.[7]

B-League and DPMM stint

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Afindi played for Kasuka in the B-League in 2002 and 2003, and moved to Sengkurong in 2004 when he faced relegation to Premier Two.[8] He transferred to newly promoted NBT FC and stayed there for two seasons, finishing in mid-table.[9] At the end of the 2007–08 Malaysia Super League season, DPMM FC recruited several NBT FC players namely Azman Ilham Noor and Abu Bakar Mahari with Afindi joining them in preseason, but the de-registration of the Brunei Football Association (BAFA) and subsequent ruffling by FIFA meant that DPMM had to move to the S.League.[10][11] However, by the time the season started, Afindi was no longer in the squad.[12]

Post-hiatus

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After a few years out of playing league football Afindi signed for QAF FC in the 2012–13 Brunei Super League season. In the following season he finally managed to score for QAF in a 8–0 victory over Wijaya FC.[13] He joined several of his teammates to move to Jerudong FC after the season concluded and QAF FC disbanded.[14] He scored his first goal for Jerudong in a 4–1 victory against Lun Bawang FC on 17 May 2015.[15]

Kasuka

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Afindi next returned to his first club Kasuka FC, reformed and newly promoted into the 2016 Brunei Super League.[16] On the third matchday against Indera SC on 27 March, Afindi was involved in an altercation which resulted in a red card for Hardi Bujang and sparked scenes of unrest from both sides that forced the match to be abandoned.[17][18] The two teams were fined and suspended for this but after a lengthy appeal that shortened the league to a single round of matches, the suspensions were rescinded.[19][20] Afindi scored his first goal for Kasuka in a 2–0 victory against MS PDB on 21 August from the penalty spot.[21]

In the 2017-18 season, Afindi contributed three goals to help Kasuka reach a commendable fourth-place finish.[22] Towards their best ever season of 2018-19 when they finished as runners-up, Kasuka added talented young Brunei youth internationals to their ranks including striker Hanif Aiman Adanan who eventually became the league's top scorer.[23] This reduced Afindi's role into a bit-part player, finding the back of the net only once against Lun Bawang FC in a 5–0 victory on 24 February 2019.[24] He also converted a penalty in a 2–0 win against Wijaya FC in the FA Cup the next month.[25]

Later career

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Afindi switched clubs to Wijaya FC for the 2020 season, and stayed with them in 2021 after the league was cancelled.[1] The 2021 season lasted a little longer before the COVID-19 pandemic rendered the league incomplete for a second time.[26] He then played for Kota Ranger FC from 2022 to 2023.[27]

International career

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Afindi was selected for the Brunei under-19s to compete at the 2000 AFC Youth Championship qualification matches held in Guam.[1] Two years later, he played for the under-21s as host team for the first Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy. He scored a penalty in a 1–0 win against Laos in the only victory for Brunei in the group stage.[28] He leveled the score to 1–1 in the next match against Malaysia but the game finished 7–3 in favour of the neighbours, eliminating Brunei from the competition.[29]

Afindi made his full international debut at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification matches held in the Maldives in March 2003, playing both games. As a squad member of DPMM FC, he also took the field for the 2008 AFF Championship qualification games held in Cambodia in October 2008.[30] Brunei only placed fourth out of 5 teams in the group table, denying their appearance at the tournament proper.[31]

Honours

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Kasuka FC
  • Brunei-Muara District Champions' League: 2000
  • Pengiran Sanggamara Diraja Cup: 2000
  • Mukim Kilanas Cup: 2000[32]
  • Amir PP Cup: 2000[32]
  • Pepsi Cup League: 2001

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "A journeyman striker". Borneo Bulletin. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Brunei 1999/2000". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Kasuka are Pepsi cup champions". DPMM FC. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  4. ^ "KASUKA MENJUARAI PIALA PEPSI". Pelita Brunei. 22 August 2001. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Football - Brunei soccer teams unveiled". Borneo Bulletin. 4 April 2001. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Brunei stun MPPJ as Johor go top with big win". The Star. 10 March 2003. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Brunei win thriller!". Borneo Bulletin. 16 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2003. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Sengkurong FC & Kota Ranger relegated". Borneo Bulletin. 16 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2 December 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  9. ^ "QAF FC Win Again". Borneo Bulletin. 8 December 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Appeal fails, BAFA sinks". Borneo Bulletin. 25 December 2008. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Brunei's DPMM Join Singapore League". Goal.com. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  12. ^ "sleague Portal DPMM 2009 Team Profile". S.League. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Najip, Jerudong share spoils". The Brunei Times. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Indera SC ready to defend DST Super League crown". The Brunei Times. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Match Report of Jerudong FC vs Lun Bawang FC - 2015-05-17 - DST Super League". Data Sports Group. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  16. ^ "I-Team belasah Kasuka 5-0". Media Permata. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  17. ^ "DST SUPER LEAGUE MATCH CALLED OFF AFTER PLAYERS CLASH". Borneo Bulletin. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  18. ^ "INDERA-KASUKA MATCH ABANDONED". The Brunei Times. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Indera and Kasuka face the music after fiasco". Borneo Bulletin. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  20. ^ "MS ABDB spoil fierce rivals Indera's return". Borneo Bulletin. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Match Report of MS PDB vs Kasuka FC - 2016-08-21 - DST Super League". Data Sports Group. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Tabuan Muda 'A' sixth place hopes hang on a balance". Borneo Bulletin. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Kasuka FC's forward Mohd Hanif Aiman scoops Super League top scorer award". Borneo Bulletin. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Kasuka keep slim hopes of Super League title alive". Borneo Bulletin. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Penalty, AFINDI YATI TUAH (Kasuka FC) - Scored". MyCujoo. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Brunei Super League 2021 called off". Borneo Bulletin. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  27. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/Chq4IikBzoV [self-published source]
  28. ^ "Hassan al Bolkiah Trophy (Brunei) 2002". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 22 June 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  29. ^ "Harapan Brunei ke separuh akhir tidak kesampaian" [Brunei's hopes of reaching the semi-finals were unreached]. Pelita Brunei (in Malay). 28 August 2002.
  30. ^ "World's worst soccer team happy to win first point". Reuters. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  31. ^ "Hosts Cambodia Celebrate Qualifying Into AFF Suzuki Cup Main Event". ASEAN Football Federation. 25 October 2008. Archived from the original on 27 October 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  32. ^ a b "KASUKA FC". Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
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