Indonesia and Thailand fined for bizarre match
Indonesia and Thailand fined for bizarre match
HANOI (Agencies): Indonesia and Thailand have been fined unspecified amounts for a Tiger Cup match that both teams tried to avoid winning, officials said Wednesday.
They also were warned about their on-field performance and could face further punishment after the eight-nation competition ends Saturday if they are found to have brought the sport into disrepute.
The results of the bizarre match, which Thailand "won" when Indonesia put the ball into its own net as time was running out, will be allowed to stand, with defending champion Thailand facing Vietnam in Hanoi and Indonesia staying in Ho Chi Minh City to play Singapore.
The Hanoi match had been scheduled for Wednesday - Vietnam's National Day - but was postponed to Thursday while organizers and soccer officials decided how to handle the fiasco.
Tournament officials tried their best to put a positive spin on the situation, saying they wanted to look ahead to the rest of the tournament. The organizing committee would not disclose the size of the fines and said there had been precedents.
The Nhan Dan official Communist Party newspaper said the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) officials and the tournament organizers would consider penalties up to US$20,000.
They specifically pointed to a 1982 Germany-Austria match in which the teams deliberately played to a scoreless draw.
"FIFA was very angry with what happened, but the result stood, and the committee felt that the same thing applied here," Group A match commissioner Tan Eng Yoon was quoted as saying by Singapore's The Straits Times newspaper.
Both teams have admitted that they did not want to play Vietnam, particularly on National Day in Hanoi, where boisterous fans have packed the 20,000-seat stadium.
In Thailand, the Minister to Prime Minister's Office Jurin Laksanawisit said he would ask the Football Association of Thailand to explain what happened, reflecting widespread outrage among Thais with the performance.
Thai coach Wittaya Loahakul said prior to his team's departure to Hanoi Wednesday morning that they would rise to the occasion for the semifinal match and that what happened against Indonesia was all behind them.
"It's all over now and we have to prepare ourselves for the match against Vietnam.
"We are playing the home team which has enjoyed tremendous support from their home fans. I expect for a tough match ahead," Wittaya said.
Indonesian coach Rusdy Bahalwan shared Wittaya's view, saying his team had left all scorns on them behind ahead of their match against Singapore.
"We are keeping an eye on the semifinal and maintaining a solid team work. Singapore now are stronger than they were in the SEA Games last year," said Rusdy as quoted by Antara Wednesday.
Rusdy defended his players' intentional own goal, saying it came as a response to the Thais' reluctance to take the initiatives.
"I'm the man to be held responsible for what happened in that match," he said.