The alleged kick by referee Suhaizi Sukri on Selangor's leftback Fazly Mazlan in the 45th minute of the game between Selangor and Sabah.
PETALING JAYA: Referee Suhaizi Sukri has made it clear that he had no intention of kicking Selangor leftback Fazly Mazlan during the Red Giants’ FA Cup quarter-final game against Sabah at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on July 23.
Suhaizi, through Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Saifuddin Abu Bakar, clarified that his action was a spontaneous reaction when Fazly stepped on his foot during an incident which went viral and caused a shock on social media.
Saifuddin said that based on the investigation done by the FAM Referee Performance Assessment Committee, Suhaizi did not deliberately kick out at Fazly.
“He (Suhaizi) had already apologised to the FAM, Malaysian Football League (MFL), FAM Referees Committee and also to the fans,” he said.
“In the 45th minute, Selangor player Fazly was given a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct. He then moved towards the referee to protest and stepped on his foot.
“The referee, unable to stand the pain, spontaneously lifted his leg which looked like he was kicking out at the player.
“However, his leg did not touch the player. The referee also asserted that he won’t take further action, like giving the player a second yellow, because he felt that he accidentally stepped on his foot.”
Saifuddin said Suhaizi, 42, is an experienced referee who holds a FIFA badge since 2011 and has never had any disciplinary action taken against him.
