Thailand Stage 15-Minute Protest during ASEAN Football Championship

By: Bob | January 31st, 2007

Just when you thought that the ASEAN football championship couldn’t get any more exciting, it has. After a controversial penalty award for Singapore in the 82nd minute of the first leg of the final, Thailand’s team walked off the pitch and staged a 15-minute protest before returning to the field to watch Mustafic Fahrudin drill the spot-kick to give Singapore a 2-1 win.

Thailand team manager Tawatchai Sajakul defended his team’s protest.

“We have all calmed down now, but there’s something seriously wrong about the decision of the referee,” Tawatchai told Reuters.

“We have a right to protest and we needed to get the message across that we have been unfairly treated.”

The only message that the Thais got across is that they are poor sports and that they deserve to have their arses handed to them in the second leg on Sunday in Thailand. You could almost expect to see something like this happen in youth soccer where parents and coaches have a warped sense of perspective, but to stage a 15-minute protest during an international football match just because you don’t agree with a call is absurd.

If every team followed the Thais’ leads we’d still be playing the ~~2006~~ ~~1986~~ 1966 World Cup today.

Some Related Stories:

Category: Asia, World Football

« Checking in with Paul Gascoigne | Home | Everyone and no one wants to buy Liverpool »

The Offside RSS Feeds

Long mai

Thais really are cheaters! they really think they are superior than their asean neighbors. what a shame!
tongunya23

Singapore=cheaters. I wonder how many frikking Singaporean dollars the FAS gave Mr. Ravichadran. Fucking wankers
cake(thai)

thai will win singapore next time!
Donny

Well ... Protest or no Protest ... Singapore won the Cup in the end ... Losers go home ...
Zelvaboi

i think ppl all 4get abt Amri legible claim for penalty when he was tripped
brian

More teams should do this. This isn't a perfect world. It wasn't being a poor sport. That's why there are match-fixing scandals. Oh yeah, nevermind, refs never decide matches. crap. Kudos to the Thais.
Boon

Whether the referee was fair or not is irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that the Thais were being unprofessional and unsporting during that match with that absurd behaviour.
Trojan

how can u say thailand is nt defended by ref so u think singapore player is?? if u seen that match u would have seen 3 singapore players being yellow carded early in the game because the thai players keep going down even with the slightest of touch.the reason why the ref didnt say much would be the singapore players dont bother to argue they just walk off. be fair dude when u comment
SukOThai

Thailand will win 2nd leg na ka!
Ike^^

If you have seen the match, you will find that Thai don't be defended by the referee. Singapore's foul didn't be warned by the referee. This is not only my words, but also from the reporter of SportCenter on ESPN. I don't care much about that strange penalty. A referee's mistake can be happened in every match but not for all 90 minutes in the game. I'm sorry for what Thai act in that match.

Don't worry for the 2nd leg in Bangkok. We don't play some idiot football and also don't play football like some kind of animal. It will be an interesting match. /gg

PS. For all Singapore people in Thailand, don't worry. What happens in the game will end in the game.
Miriguy

yea.something is seriously wrong with that ref.
SukOThai

HEy come on, have you ever BEEN to Thailand. It's one of the hottest countries on earth. Duh, Thai's can't play hockey. Canadians can't play football.

Thai team would whoop Canadian national team any day!
Sam

Tsk tsk. The same Thailand that lost 52-1 to Kazakhstan in ice hockey just the other day. I'm serious.