KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Referee Evaluation Committee is examining an incident that took place during the Malaysia v Vietnam match last night at My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi.
During the group B match of the AFF Cup yesterday, Japanese referee Ryuji Sato caused a stir among Malaysian fans when he pulled a red card against Azam Azmi Murad in the second half for a light challenge.
This happened in the 59th minute when Sato awarded a penalty kick to Vietnam after Azam Azmi had allegedly fouled Doan Van Hau.
When contacted by The Vibes, FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman said that the FAM Referee Evaluation Committee is “evaluating and examining yesterday’s incident in detail before they submit an official letter to AFF”.
“The committee will conclude their evaluation report as soon as possible, hopefully by tomorrow and looking to submit the letter to the AFF by Friday.”
Malaysian fans took to social media to express their disappointment over Sato’s decision, which led to the referee issuing a statement through his Instagram story.
He apologised to the Malaysian fans over his decision and asked them not to “attack (his) personal Instagram because (he has) a family and (his) family reads all the comments.
“I have received a call from the FIFA Referee Association president and they will decide about my performance during the match.”
Malaysia lost 3-0 to Vietnam last night and the national team’s fate now rests on their match against Singapore on January 3, which they would need to win to advance into the semis. – The Vibes, December 28, 2022
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