KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC chief executive officer Johan Kamal Hamidon has stood his ground after being criticised for his remarks directed at the referee who was accused of making controversial calls during the Super League match between the Red Giants and Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) on Saturday.
While Johan told The Vibes that it was him in a video of the incident, he insisted that the situation was not as heated as portrayed in other media reports.
“Yes I can be seen in the video, but I was not the only person there. Others were also making remarks at the referee.
“However, nothing much happened. I did not lose control but merely reminded the referee to do his job right.”
In a video that made its rounds on social media, Johan could be seen confronting referee Zulkarnain Zakaria in the parking lot as the match official had to be escorted out of Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium after the match ended 1-1.
— No Context Bola Malaysia (@nocontextbolamy) September 4, 2022
In the video, a male voice can be heard saying, “Don’t forget the afterlife, don’t mistreat others, don’t think you are great just because you have yellow and red cards.
“Remember your family at home, that is a big responsibility.”
After the final whistle last Saturday, Selangor fans were extremely dissatisfied at Zulkarnain for awarding a penalty to JDT in the 33rd minute after a foul by Yazan Al-Arab on Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi.
The contentious decision drew international attention with BBC Sport suggesting in a Facebook post that the Super League could benefit from video assistant referee technology, as used in many international and domestic football competitions globally.
Brazilian player Bergson da Silva converted the spot kick, but Selangor’s Herlison Caion equalised for the home team in the 64th minute.
This was not the first time Zulkarnain had officiated a match between Selangor and JDT.
He was also the referee when JDT thrashed Selangor 5-1 and 6-1 last year on June 24 and September 21, respectively.
Meanwhile, Football Association of Malaysia refereeing committee chairman Datuk S. Sivasundaram said the association will be releasing a statement on the incident in the coming days. – The Vibes, September 5, 2022
