AFC maintains life ban for Indonesia's Mursyid

AFC maintains life ban for Indonesia's Mursyid

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday maintained a life ban on Indonesian player Mursyid Effendi for international matches for deliberately scoring an own goal in the Tiger Cup in Vietnam last September.

But the continent's soccer governing body reduced to one-year Mursyid's suspension for league matches, allowing the defender to don his Persebaya Surabaya's jersey again next season.

Peter Velappan, AFC general secretary, said the executive committee, felt the 20-year-old Mursyid's livelihood would be adversely affected if the initial complete life ban, made last September, was maintained.

The All Indonesia Soccer Federation appealed earlier for a milder punishment, saying that Mursyid was still young and of a promising talent.

The AFC also banned Iranian international Mohamad Ali Karimi and China's Hao Haidong for one year and fined both of them.

Karimi was fined US$3,000 for assaulting a referee at last month's Dunhill Cup, while Hao -- who has been linked to a move to England -- was fined $2,000 for spitting at a linesman at the Asian Games in December.

The AFC disciplinary committee said after a meeting the bans would take effect immediately.

China's English coach, Bob Houghton, was fined $2,000 for misconduct towards a linesman and the match coordinator during the Asian Games.