Indonesia’s Komang Teguh Trisnanda (4) and Thailand’s Soponwit Rakyart (R) react as a fight breaks out on the sidelines of the men’s football final match between Thailand and Indonesia during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Phnom Penh on May 16, 2023. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
Thai football on Tuesday handed out lengthy bans to two players, two officials and a coach over the brawls that marred the men’s final at the Southeast Asian Games.
Indonesia beat Thailand 5-2 in extra time in Phnom Penh last week but the match degenerated into violence as players and staff from both sides clashed on the touchline.
Thailand had three players sent off.
The Thai FA apologized and promised a swift investigation, and on Tuesday announced a one-year ban from the national team for a goalkeeping coach and two team officials.
“The fact-finding team agreed unanimously that as adults, the goalkeeping coach and team officials should be mature enough to control the situation and set a good example for the players, who are aged under 22,” the Thai FA said in a statement.
“They should not lead or take part in the incident.”
Men’s football at the biennial SEA Games is played between under-23 sides.
Indonesia’s Komang Teguh Trisnanda (C) and Thailand’s Soponwit Rakyart (R) react as a fight breaks out on the sidelines of the men’s football final match between Thailand and Indonesia during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Phnom Penh on May 16, 2023. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
Goalkeeper Soponwit Rakyart — who was red-carded after he ran half the length of the pitch to deliver a diving punch — was banned from the national team for six months.
Substitute Teerapak Pruengna was also given a six-month ban.
“While they took part in the incident, they were under match pressure and have apologized, and they are young — these are reasons to decrease their penalty,” the Thai FA said.
Indonesia went into the final hoping to restore pride following a deadly stadium disaster and the loss of hosting the Under-20 World Cup.
But the match will be remembered for the chaotic scenes that erupted in the 97th minute when Thailand -– who had been 2-0 down -– scored to make it 2-2 and force extra time.
Thai officials celebrated by running over to the Indonesia bench, prompting the first melee, and there was more trouble when Indonesia retook the lead early in extra time.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Read Next
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.