Abu Bakar Mahari

Muhammad Abu Bakar bin Mahari (born 11 February 1985) is a Bruneian footballer playing as a striker for Kota Ranger FC of the Brunei Super League. He is nicknamed the "Eto'o of Tutong" due to similarities in appearance and footballing qualities with Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon.[1][2]

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Mahari is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Abu Bakar.
Abu Bakar Mahari
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Abu Bakar bin Mahari
Date of birth (1985-02-11) February 11, 1985
Place of birth Brunei Darussalam
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, Striker
Team information
Current team
 Kota Ranger FC
Number 24
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 KKSJ Penjara
2007–2008 NBT FC
2009–2012 DPMM 24 (3)
2010–2011 → KKSJ Penjara (loan)
2012–2013 Jerudong FC (6)
2014 QAF FC (2)
2015 Kasuka FC (6)
2016–2019 Kota Ranger (25)
2021–2022 Tutong Hotspurs (1)
2023 Lun Bawang 2 (0)
2023– Kota Ranger 4 (1)
International career‡
2008 Brunei U23
2008–2017 Brunei 6 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 June 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 July 2022

Club career

After impressive displays for the Prisons Department and NBT FC in the domestic league,[3][4] Abu Bakar was drafted in to play for Brunei's sole professional club DPMM FC in the Singaporean S.League and he contributed 3 goals in 20 matches, winning the 2009 Singapore League Cup.

Abu Bakar was sent on loan to his old club the Prisons Department while DPMM could not resume playing due to a FIFA ban.[5][6] In this period, he suffered an injury which kept him out for a year.[7] Contemplating retirement, his then-coach Vjeran Simunić finally convinced him to play for DPMM in their comeback season in 2012, but he only managed to appear in 4 games before being released.[8]

Abu Bakar subsequently played for Jerudong FC in the 2012–13 Brunei Super League,[9] then QAF FC the following year.[10] He dropped a division in 2015, appearing for re-banded Kasuka FC in the 2015 Brunei Premier League.[11] He scored six goals to help Kasuka gain promotion to the 2016 Brunei Super League.[12]

Abu Bakar moved to Kota Ranger FC in 2016.[13] He scored four goals against Menglait FC in his club's opening match for the 2017 Brunei Super League.[14] On 11 August, in a match that pitted two unbeaten teams in the Super League, Abu Bakar scored two goals to beat his club's direct rivals MS ABDB. The 2-1 score would send Kota Ranger three points clear off the top of the 11-team league.

Abu Bakar finished the 2017-18 season as the second highest top scorer (behind Abdul Azizi Ali Rahman) with 22 goals. His team also finished second in the league, three points off the champions MS ABDB.[15] He was unable to recapture his goalscoring form in the following season, but managed to win the FA Cup instead.[16]

International career

Abu Bakar was selected for the Brunei national under-23 football team competing in the 2008 Sukma Games in Malaysia.[17]

Abu Bakar made his national team debut in a 0–1 loss against Philippines on 13 May 2008. His first goal came against Laos in a 2–3 reverse in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification on 23 October the same year.

Abu Bakar's league form in 2017 forced the doors to an international callup in December for the 2017 Aceh World Solidarity Tsunami Cup, nine years after last representing his country.[18]

International goals
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.23 October 2008National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Laos2–12–32008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification

Honours

Team
Brunei DPMM FC
Kota Ranger FC

References
  1. "DPMM FC's made in Tutong Eto'o". The Brunei Times. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  2. "'Eto'o & mates' ready for QAF FC". The Brunei Times. 20 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  3. "KKS struggle to down NBT". The Brunei Times. 1 September 2007. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  4. "NBT win, ABDB regain lead". The Brunei Times. 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. "Prisons overpower Ranger". The Brunei Times. 30 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  6. "BPL under watchful eyes of DPMM FC". The Brunei Times. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  7. "Simunic makes rusty DPMM FC work hard". The Brunei Times. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  8. "DPMM FC players raring to go: coach". The Brunei Times. 30 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-04-13. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. "Jerudong FC run riot in 6-0 victory over Najip FC". The Brunei Times. 24 December 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  10. "Majra pick up first win". The Brunei Times. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  11. "Kasuka surge to second after Panchor Murai win". The Brunei Times. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  12. "Piala Sumbangsih DST buka tirai". Media Permata. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  13. "Indera SC closing in after Kota Ranger win". Borneo Bulletin. 14 September 2016. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  14. "Abu fires Kota Ranger to the top". National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  15. "MS ABDB pertahankan kejuaraan Liga Super DST". Pelita Brunei. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  16. "KOTA RANGER CROWNED DST FA CUP CHAMPIONS". BruSports News. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  17. "Brunei Out Of Sukma Football". Borneo Bulletin. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  18. "Brunei Darussalam Bawa 22 Pemain ke Banda Aceh". Football Association of Indonesia. 26 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
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