The ball was near the halfway line, posing no real danger, but Mohanad Ali still charged in and kicked Chanathip's leg with all his might. The powerful kick sent the Thai midfielder flying into the air before landing painfully on the ground. The play was truly unsportsmanlike , enraging the home team's players. They launched a furious attack on the Iraqi star, causing a disruption to the match.
Fortunately for Ali, his teammates and the referee intervened. Otherwise, the Iraqi striker would have struggled to escape the combined assault from the Thai team. In the stands, fans were outraged by Ali's behavior and repeatedly used harsh language towards him.
Ali was shown a red card by the referee for this tackle. Afterwards, he stayed in the locker room and did not come out to receive the gold medal at Iraq's coronation ceremony. According to the Thairath newspaper, Ali "feared retaliation and facing jeers from the fans" so he did not dare to appear. Coach Graham Arnold, while accepting the award, had to privately request a gold medal for him.
During the press conference, coach Masatada Ishii used the word "uneducated" to describe Mohanad Ali's handling of the situation. "I can't believe that such behavior is happening again in top-level football. It's uneducated. Too violent," he said.
Coach Ishii immediately substituted Chanathip after the collision, and fans saw that the 32-year-old midfielder's knee was heavily bandaged. Chanathip will have to be hospitalized for X-rays, while many Iraqi players have come to visit and apologize to Chanathip and the Thai players. Among them were Zaid Tahseen and Aymen Hussein, but Mohanad Ali was nowhere to be seen.
Thailand lost the King's Cup final despite playing with two more players.
Despite winning 3-0 against an amateur team, the Thai national team still faced criticism.
The Thai women's national team sacked their Japanese coach after two defeats against Vietnam.
Thailand tightens naturalization process, causing difficulties for many delegations at SEA Games 33.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/da-xau-voi-chanathip-cau-thu-iraq-khong-dam-len-nhan-huy-chuong-post1776264.tpo
Comment (0)