Thailand FA Bans Players, Officials Over Football Final Brawls
The Football Association of Thailand has banned two Thailand players for six months for their part in mass brawls during the men’s football final at the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.
Fighting broke out between the teams’ benches after Thailand scored a stoppage-time equaliser and again when Indonesia went 3-2 up in extra time in Phnom Penh.
A goalkeeping coach and two team officials have been banned for a year.
The Football Association of Thailand said goalkeeper Soponwit Rakyart and substitute Teerapak Pruengna were given shorter bans because they are “young” and were “under match pressure and have apologised“.
Rakyart was one of four players sent off after he ran half the length of the pitch to deliver a diving punch to an opponent.
A Thai FA statement read: “The fact-finding team agreed unanimously that as adults, the goalkeeping coach and team officials should be mature enough to control the situation and set a good example for the players, who are aged under 22. They should not lead or take part in the incident.”
After the match, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it would conduct an investigation.
Indonesia were leading 2-1 thanks to first-half goals from Ramadhan Sananta when their players and coaching staff celebrated after mistaking the referee’s whistle for a Thailand free-kick as the end of the game.
Anan Yodsangwal equalised following the free-kick and Thailand players celebrated by running over to the Indonesia bench, sparking the first brawl.
After Irfan Jauhar scored for Indonesia within seconds of the start of extra time, punches and kicks were landed in a second melee and security officers had to intervene.
Both teams had a player sent off and members of the coaching staff were also dismissed following the second incident.
Fajar Rahman and Beckman Putra goals confirmed Indonesia’s first Southeast Asian Games gold medal since 1991 as Thailand had two more players dismissed for second yellow cards.
Indonesia beat Thailand 5-2 after extra time.
BBC/Emmanuel Ukoh
