Asia’s football body has ordered one-match suspensions, and may take further action, against three players and two coaches involved in a brawl that marred a regional champions league semi-final.
Wednesday’s game between South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings and Qatar’s Al Sadd was temporarily halted as both teams traded punches in an ugly late-game melee. Suwon Bluewings player Stevica Ristic and coach Ko Jong-Su, as well as Al Sadd players Kader Keita, Mamadou Niang and goal-keeping coach Suhail Saber Ali were all banned for one match each. The violence erupted late in the second half after Niang raced through for his second goal while much of Suwon’s team were tending to an injured player.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2011.
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