FAS ONSIDE WITH OFFSIDE VAR MISTAKE

Body takes action against match officials, who allowed Albirex's goal in 7-1 SPL defeat

- Maximilian Oh

Defending champions Albirex Niigata's goal during their recent 7-1 Singapore Premier League (SPL) thrashing by the Lion City Sailors should have been disallowed, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) admitted in a statement on July 3.

Albirex striker Shuhei Hoshino was clearly in an offside position when Arshad Shamim crossed the ball to him during the match at the Bishan Stadium on June 23.

However, Hoshino's 21st-minute header, which made it 1-1, was allowed to stand by the on-field referee and assistant referee.

The video assistant referee (VAR) team, who were supposed to spot clear and obvious errors, also failed to intervene.

The "significant refereeing error" was acknowledged after a review by the FAS Referee Department, which has meted out disciplinary actions against the officials involved.