Hirzi Zulfaqar Mahzan

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Hirzi Zulfaqar
Hirzi with Brunei in 2023
Personal information
Full name Mohammad Hirzi Zulfaqar bin Mahzan
Date of birth (2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 23)
Place of birth Brunei
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
2015–2018 Tabuan Muda
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Tabuan Muda 'A' (2)
2022 Indera 0 (0)
2023 DPMM 7 (0)
International career
2015–2016 Brunei U16 9 (0)
2015–2018 Brunei U19 7 (0)
2023– Brunei 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 October 2023

Mohammad Hirzi Zulfaqar bin Mahzan (born 13 August 2000) is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Brunei national team.[1]

Club career[edit]

Hirzi was a youth prospect who attended the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam's grassroots development scheme the Tabuan Muda in 2015.[2] He played for the Young Wasps' league side Tabuan Muda 'A' in the 2017–18 Brunei Super League.[3]

After a period of focusing on his studies, Hirzi joined Indera SC for the 2022 Brunei FA Cup, the only competition held by FABD for the year. He helped Indera qualify for the knockout phase and played host to eventual winners DPMM FC in the quarter-finals.[4]

Hirzi trialed and impressed at a local trial for new recruits for DPMM FC in January 2023 as part of preparations for their return to the Singapore Premier League in the 2023 season.[5] He officially signed the terms on 28 February.[6] He made his debut from the start against Tanjong Pagar United on 14 March, unfortunately scoring an own goal in his team's 2–1 victory.[7] He managed to make seven appearances in his debut season, half of them from the starting lineup, before being released in the close season.[8][9]

International career[edit]

Hirzi's first youth international tournament was the 2015 AFF U-16 Youth Championship hosted by Cambodia in July–August, where he joined the likes of Wafi Aminuddin and Nur Asyraffahmi Norsamri in the starting lineup. The team only gained a single point in five matches, with Hirzi playing in all of them.[10] Some of the players who impressed were drafted to the under-19s for the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualification matches held in Myanmar that September, overhauling the team that competed in the 2015 AFF U-19 Youth Championship the previous month.[11] Hirzi played in three out of four games, all ending in defeats.[12]

The next year, Hirzi laced up with the under-16s for the 2016 AFF U-16 Youth Championship held in Cambodia that July. He played four matches in the campaign, tasting defeats in all of them.[13]

In July 2018, Hirzi was selected for the 2018 AFF U-19 Youth Championship tournament held in Indonesia along with the team of Tabuan Muda.[14] He featured in all four group games at the tournament.

In June 2023, Hirzi was called up to the senior international squad for the first time.[15] He made his international debut on 12 October of that year away against Indonesia in the first leg of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup qualification, which ended in a 6–0 defeat.[16] The round ended with Brunei's elimination from the 2026 World Cup in a 0–12 aggregate.[17]

Personal life[edit]

Hirzi's brother Hijazi has represented Brunei in fencing in the men's foil category.[18] He captained the football team of Laksamana College of Business at a national inter-college tournament in 2021 and became the winners of the competition.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mohammad Hirzi Zulfaqar Mahzan". Football Association of Singapore. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ^ "NATIONAL YOUTH UNDER-17". National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  3. ^ "MS ABDB through to FA Cup quarters". Borneo Bulletin. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  4. ^ @inderasc (28 August 2022). "Our starting XI for #PERKAUNITEDVSINDERASC". Retrieved 15 March 2023 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ "A long awaited return". Borneo Bulletin. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  6. ^ "25 players sign contract for DPMM FC". Borneo Bulletin. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  7. ^ "DPMM FC earn first win in Singapore Premier League". Borneo Bulletin. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Brunei Darussalam - H. Zulfaqar - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  9. ^ "DPMM FC to play match against Chinese League 1 team Guangxi Pingguo on 20th April". DPMM FC. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Brunei lose to Thailand after two late goals". The Brunei Times. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Under-19s set for AFC meet". The Brunei Times. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  12. ^ "National Under-19 team finish AFC qualifiers winless". The Brunei Times. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Brunei end AFF U-16 Championship campaign with 4-0 defeat to Laos". The Brunei Times. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  14. ^ "BRUNEI DS U19 TEAM" (PDF). ASEAN Football Federation. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  15. ^ @fa.bruneidarussalam (12 June 2023). "Calling players! Here is the newly updated twenty-seven players that have been called up for the June FIFA Days. Training will take place in Brunei starting 13-20 June 2023". Retrieved 12 June 2023 – via Instagram.
  16. ^ "Hasil Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026, Timnas Indonesia vs Brunei Darussalam: Skor 6-0". Bola.net. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  17. ^ "NO HOME COMFORT FOR WASPS". BruSports News. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Fencers: Brunei Darussalam". Fencing Confederation of Asia. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  19. ^ "LCB head coach lauds players' spirits after historic win". Borneo Bulletin. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2023.

External links[edit]