Muhammad Hanif @ Abdul Hadi bin Hamir (born 22 February 1997) is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays as a defender for DPMM FC.[1]

Hanif Hamir
Hanif with DPMM in 2024
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Hanif @ Abdul Hadi bin Hamir
Date of birth (1997-02-22) 22 February 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Brunei
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
DPMM FC
Number 13
Youth career
Sports School
2015 DPMM U19
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Najip (0)
2015 Tabuan U18 (0)
2015–2016 Tabuan Muda (1)
2017–2019 DPMM 20 (0)
2021– DPMM 34 (1)
International career
2014 Brunei U21 1 (0)
2015–2019 Brunei U23 8 (0)
2015 Brunei U19 5 (0)
2015– Brunei 19 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024

Club career

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Hanif is a graduate of Brunei's Sports School, the institution that also produced Bruneian internationals such as Azwan Ali Rahman and Shafie Effendy.[2] He began his league football career with Najip FC in 2014, a team that lost every game in their previous season.[3] Coached by the late Johari Bungsu, Hanif achieved a third-place finish with Najip FC in the 2014 Brunei Super League and also reached the final of the FA Cup that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final along the way.[4]

Brunei's football association NFABD created Tabuan Muda in 2015, a league team that serves to prepare for international tournaments, mirroring Singapore's Young Lions and Malaysia's Harimau Muda teams.[5] Hanif was assigned to the Under-18s playing in the Brunei Premier League at the start of the season,[6] however he was promoted to the Brunei Super League team in the second half of the season.[7] Tabuan Muda finished fifth in the 2015 and 2016 seasons of the BSL.

Hanif trialled out for and joined Brunei DPMM FC's Under-19 team in early 2015.[8] Although he was overlooked for promotion in 2016, he was handed a professional contract by Steve Kean to play for DPMM in the S.League in 2017. He signed full terms on 15 January.[9] He made his debut in the 4–0 loss against Albirex Niigata FC (S) on 16 June.[10]

Hanif made eight league appearances for DPMM in the 2019 season en route to the championship, his first with the professional club.[11] He left DPMM at the end of the season.[12]

Hanif re-signed for DPMM before the 2021 Brunei Super League began on 11 June 2021.[13] A year later, he won the Brunei FA Cup after beating Kasuka FC in the final on 4 December 2022.[14]

After DPMM returned to the Singapore Premier League in 2023, Hanif scored the winner against Tanjong Pagar United on 15 March at Jalan Besar Stadium in a 2–1 victory.[15]

International career

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Hanif has been playing for the national team and its various youth teams since 2014. His youth tournaments include the 2014 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for Under-21, the 28th SEA Games for Under-23, the 2015 AFF U-19 Youth Championship and the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualification with the Under-19s.

Hanif was called up to the national team for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Chinese Taipei in March 2015.[16] He started both games at centre-back in a 1-2 aggregate loss which eliminated Brunei from the 2018 World Cup.

Hanif played in a 6-1 drubbing by Cambodia in a friendly on 3 November 2015.[17] His next callup was at the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification matches held in Cambodia in October, and started all three matches. He missed out on the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup squad a fortnight later due to injury.[18]

In 2017, Hanif was announced as one of Brunei's athletes for the year's SEA Games football tournament held in Malaysia in August, playing with the under-23s.[19] However he was replaced by Nadzri Erwan on the eve of the biennial sporting event.[20]

Hanif was appointed captain of the Brunei Under-23 squad for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification matches that was held in Vietnam in late March 2019.[21] They finished with three losses in three games.[22]

 
Hanif playing against Indonesia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Yet to register an appearance in the 2019 Singapore Premier League, Hanif accepted a callup to the senior national team for the two-legged 2022 World Cup qualification matches against Mongolia in June of that year.[23] He was deployed by Robbie Servais as a starter in both games alongside captain Sairol Sahari at centre-back. In the first leg, he was at the short end of a weak backpass by Helmi Zambin for the crucial second Mongolia goal.[24] The second match was also eventful for Hanif as he was the one who felled Narmandakh Artag inside the penalty box that led to a Mongolia penalty scored by Tsedenbal Norjmoo.[25] Brunei were beaten 2–3 on aggregate and failed to progress to Round 2 of the qualification process.[26]

Hanif was selected and started the friendly match away against Laos on 27 March 2022 which ended in a 3–2 loss.[27][28] Later in the year, he was retained for a tri-nation tournament in late September involving the Maldives and Laos and played in both fixtures.[29] That December, he was selected for the Brunei squad for the 2022 AFF MItsubishi Electric Cup in their second ever appearance at the level since 1996.[30] He was brought in as an early substitute against Thailand in a 0–5 defeat in the first group game. He then started the third game against Indonesia where he suffered an injury early in the game and was taken off.[31]

Hanif was selected for the Brunei national team at the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Indonesia held in October 2023 over two legs.[32] He played the full 180 minutes in a 0–12 aggregate loss to their Southeast Asian compatriots.[33]

Hanif was fielded by caretaker head coach Rui Capela for two friendlies against Sri Lanka in June 2024.[34] That following October, he was selected for the 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification two-legged affair against Timor-Leste,[35] and made a second-half appearance in the second leg that finished 0–0.[36]

Honours

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DPMM FC

References

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  1. ^ "Nat'l team on right track". The Brunei Times. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Sports School opening enrollment". The Brunei Times. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Najip FC looking to start afresh this season". The Brunei Times. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Najip FC enters the DST FA 2014 Finals". Radio Televisyen Brunei. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Season starts next week". The Brunei Times. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Najip start season with a win". The Brunei Times. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Tabuan Muda". National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  8. ^ "DPMM FC Under-19 team thrash BSSSA 11-0". The Brunei Times. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  9. ^ "DPMM FC finalise squad for new S League season". Borneo Bulletin. 16 February 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  10. ^ "DPMM FC lose to Albirex as slump continues". BruSports News. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  11. ^ "DPMM FC CELEBRATE SINGAPORE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE AFTER EDGING CHEETAHS". BruSports News. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  12. ^ "DPMM FC INK NEW DEALS WITH PLAYERS AND SPONSORS". BruSports News. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  13. ^ "DPMM FC aim for Brunei Super League". Borneo Bulletin. 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  14. ^ "DPMM FC sink Kasuka FC to win Brunei FA Cup". Borneo Bulletin. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  15. ^ "DPMM FC earn first win in Singapore Premier League". Borneo Bulletin. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Brunei team to meet Chinese Taipei named". Borneo Bulletin. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Cambodia put six goals past Brunei in friendly". Borneo Bulletin. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Kwon positive despite defensive woe". The Brunei Times. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  19. ^ "105 athletes named to represent Brunei at 29th SEA Games". BruSports News. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  20. ^ "Portal Semakan".
  21. ^ "Pelatih Brunei Sebut Timnas U-23 Indonesia Selevel dengan Timnya". Tempo.co. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Brunei miss late penalty in dramatic end to AFC U-23 meet". Borneo Bulletin. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Brunei football team in China for training camp". Borneo Bulletin. 29 May 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  24. ^ "2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Brunei outclassed by Mongolia in first leg". Fox Sports Asia. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  25. ^ "Wasps win but World Cup qualifying campaign comes to an end". BruSports News. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Brunei snatch 2-1 home win but miss out on second round of World Cup". Borneo Bulletin. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  27. ^ "FABD announces Brunei squad for Laos friendly". Borneo Bulletin. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  28. ^ "Brunei lose 3-2 to Laos in international friendly". Borneo Bulletin. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  29. ^ @bruneifootball (20 September 2022). "The Brunei Darussalam squad list for the upcoming international friendly games". Retrieved 20 September 2022 – via Instagram.
  30. ^ "National team in Malaysia for AFF preparations". Borneo Bulletin. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  31. ^ "REPORT: BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 0-7 INDONESIA". AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  32. ^ @fa.bruneidarussalam (9 October 2023). "Here's the 25 players that will be representing Brunei Darussalam in the World Cup Qualifiers". Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via Instagram.
  33. ^ "NO HOME COMFORT FOR WASPS". BruSports News. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  34. ^ @fa.bruneidarussalam (8 June 2024). "Official Announcement: June FIFA Days International Friendly Match Tier 1". Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via Instagram.
  35. ^ @fa.bruneidarussalam (8 October 2024). "Here are the 23 players called up to represent Brunei Darussalam match against Timor Leste". Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via Instagram.
  36. ^ "East Timor vs Brunei Darussalam live score, H2H and lineups Sofascore". Sofascore. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
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