On Safari
The hype over
Chan Ze Han's ascendance appears to have influenced Grilled International perceptibly, as they expanded their scouting network with the hire of senior agent Adinath Pant. Pant will bring with him his extensive list of contacts in and around the Brunei-Muara District, where he has been operating for some years.
Then again, this could have been precipitated by the Bees' own achievements, with Kamil bin Hj Cucu widely regarded as one of the top defensive prospects to come out of Temburong for a time. Additionally,
Safari bin Hj Jali will join Bees teammate
Zaini bin Hj Kaling in the senior squad, in another direct promotion from the youth division.
The big man of the Bees in more ways than one, Safari never ceased to be a crowd-pleaser, with his constant antics during game stoppages. These did not detract from his usefulness in the least, with his mere presence often being enough to dissuade from going the high route.
Better known by his nickname "Jumanji" to his many supporters, the forward claimed to be clueless as to how it came about. "A few of my friends started calling me that, and it stuck, I guess."
Jumanji should not find too much difficulty in busting into the first team, after a more-or-less expected 5-1 thrashing by new league leaders FC. Schalke 1904 dropped them to fifth position.
Micky bin Kadir found a consolation goal in the 64th minute, but Schalke were well done by then. Defender
Mohd Kamarul bin Hj Safari put it down to a lack of belief.
"The record will show that we actually beat Schalke in terms of possession, but to what end? We could barely do anything with it!" Mohd Kamarul lamented.
There may be some player movements in store for International, with
Felipe Martínez and
Bernard Mucelj in particular apparently not having impressed the coaching staff, during their stay here. It wasn't all roses for Farmer Bunnies either, as a once closely-watched talent in 19 year-old Chua Yun Pin declared his intent to quit, after several fruitless months seeking a contract.
"It's a hell of a pity." Rancher Rabbits scout Ooi Long Ming sighed. "Chua was always a joy to watch on the ball, even if he could be a little too deliberate. His age didn't help, clubs these day aren't as willing to wait for results as before."
