Career
He is nicknamed the "Eto"o of Tutong" due to similarities in appearance and footballing qualities with Samuel Eto"o of Cameroon. After impressive displays for the Prisons Department and NBT Football Club in the domestic league, Abu Bakar was drafted in to play for Brunei"s sole professional club DPMM Football Club in 2008, at that time playing in the Malaysia Super League. In the following year the club moved to the Singaporean South.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 Fédération internationale de football association ban.
In this period, he suffered an injury which kept him out for a year. 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.
Abu Bakar subsequently played for Jerudong Football Club in the 2012-2013 Brunei Super League, then QAF Football Club the following year. He dropped a division in 2015, appearing for re-banded Kasuka Football Club in the 2015 Brunei Premier League.
He scored six goals to help Kasuka gain promotion to the 2016 Brunei Super League.
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.