Controversial penalty trips Thailand

The first leg of the Asean Football Championship, which Thailand lost 2-1 to Singapore, was marred by controversy when play had to be suspended for around 15 minutes after the Thai team protested against what they deemed an unfair penalty kick awarded by Malaysian referee C Ravichandran.

The upset players walked off the field after national coach Chanwit Pholchivin came out to protest the referee's penalty decision with just nine minutes remaining.

The referee ruled that defender Niweat Siriwong had committed a foul on Singaporean Noh Alam Shah when the two tussled for the ball from a left-side free kick in the box even though no Singaporean player had protested and the contact was difficult to prove.

The disputed penalty kick, nonetheless, handed Singapore victory in the first of the two-leg finals.

The penalty decision only stirred up emotions in an already high-intensity game between the two countries whose bilateral diplomatic relations have dipped to their lowest point in many years.

The home team took the

lead in the 17th minute and the Thais equalised four minutes after the break before the late penalty kick proved decisive.

Despite the setback, the Kingdom still have a chance to make up for their disappointment when they play host in the second leg this Sunday.

When Thailand, the region's dominant soccer side, faced off against Singapore in the first leg of the Asean Football Cham-pionship finals, there was a lot more at stake than just the title.

The excitement was already high for the much-anticipated match between the only two sides to have won the tournament formerly known as "Tiger Cup". And the current uneasy political relationship, following the row over a controversial meeting between deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and a senior Singaporean cabinet member, only added spice to the contest.

Singaporean fans in red shirts queued up to enter the venue hours before the kick-off. The 55,000-capacity National Stadium was packed with enthusiastic fans. Amid the sea of red, there were still a few small yellow spots of Thai supporters in the stands.

The home fans gave the Thai team a cold welcome, with sounds of jeering ringing in the ears of the visitors throughout the game.

The game showed early signs of developing into a heated contest and a series of wild tackles marked the opening exchanges before the game ended in dramatic style.

The Nation
Thu, February 1, 2007