KUALA LUMPUR – The Amateur Football League (AFL) has condemned the use of violence as a means to resolve disputes on or off the field.
The footballing body’s response came after a fight broke out between players and coaches in last week’s Putrajaya FA championship match.
Speaking to Scoop, AFL’s chief operating officer, Mohd Raimi Fakri Mohd Fuad, said that stern action will be taken against the relevant parties after the body conducts a thorough investigation of the situation.
“I watched the viral video this afternoon, and I was shocked to see what happened.
“It is believed that the fight occurred when a player from Melaka was tackled in front of his team bench, which raised tensions among the players and led to a short fight in the middle of the game.
“The fight was short-lived, and the game returned to normal with everything going smoothly for the rest of the match.
“Putrajaya FA successfully organised the tournament last year, and as far as I’m concerned, everything went well last year since it was a closed tournament involving only Putrajaya-based teams.
“However, I believe that this year, the organisers expanded the tournament to include teams from outside Putrajaya, and that may have been the reason for the chaos in the championship.
“We are a reputable league and would like to maintain that reputation. We cannot tolerate such issues happening in our league or any affiliated championships.
“We are currently examining the matter, and our disciplinary board will take decisive action against those involved so that it serves as a lesson for other teams who may try to emulate such actions in the future,” said Mohd Raimi.
Liga M5 Putrajaya FA 2023. Kejadian melibatkan pemain dan pengurusan kedua2 pasukan sahaja. Pengadil x terlibat dan melerai sahaja. pic.twitter.com/fKkB9bAIqs
— Pemerhati Pengadil (@pengadilbola) November 9, 2023
A 16-second video posted by @pengadilbola on X (formerly Twitter) showed players and coaches throwing punches and hurling slurs at each other during the match.
The match, which took place at the Pancarona Stadium in Putrajaya, saw Melaka-based Didad FC defeat Putrajaya’s TT United 2-0.
The Putrajaya FA championship is part of the Malaysian M5 League.
Founded in 2018, M5 League is a group of leagues consisting of various state FA, community, and social leagues, which are part of AFL’s plan to reform the Malaysian football league structure.
The AFL is an organisation sanctioned by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to govern amateur-level football. – November 9, 2023