Losing 0-36, the Southeast Asian team left the continental tournament in shock

A Southeast Asian team was eliminated from the U17 Asian qualifiers without scoring any goals and having conceded 36 times.

U17 Brunei ended their 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers with a 0-10 loss to Bahrain, bringing their total goals conceded to 36 after just 5 matches. The Southeast Asian side failed to earn any points or goals, becoming the worst-performing team in Group A. Their performance highlighted a significant gap in regional standards.

The loss to Bahrain was surprising since the West Asian team had no chance to qualify for the final tournament but still dominated and scored 10 goals. Brunei was completely outmatched throughout the match, barely creating any notable attacking chances. Their defense repeatedly made positional errors, leaving large gaps for Bahrain to exploit.

Previously, Brunei suffered heavy losses including 0-4 to Sri Lanka, 0-8 to Bangladesh, 0-12 to China, and 0-2 to Timor Leste. Among these, the defeat to China clearly showed disparities in physique, speed, and tactical organization. Against Timor Leste, also considered a weaker team, Brunei still failed to make an impact and ended up empty-handed.

Timor Leste, despite only winning against Brunei, demonstrated better competitiveness by securing 3 crucial points and finishing the group with a -19 goal difference. They struggled against stronger teams but maintained better gameplay than Brunei at many points. The gap between the two teams clearly reflects the state of youth development in the region.

At the top of the group, China showed absolute dominance with 15 points and a 42-0 goal difference after winning all 5 matches, securing their spot in the U17 Asian final tournament. Bangladesh finished second with 12 points, reluctantly settling for the runner-up position. Bahrain placed third with 9 points, while Sri Lanka ranked fifth with only 3 points from a single victory.

Group A concluded with a clear divide, with Brunei being the biggest disappointment. Their record of 0 points, 0 goals scored, and 36 goals conceded will serve as a significant lesson for Brunei’s youth football if they want to close the gap with the rest of the continent in the future.