Coaches punished by FAS after youth game altercation

An ill-tempered Singapore Youth League (SYL) match between Balestier Khalsa and the Lion City Sailors on Aug 24 has resulted in their coaches being disciplined by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

- David Lee

In videos posted on social media by online publication The Monitor SG on Aug 25 and 27, players from both teams were seen pushing one another during the game which the Sailors won 3-1. Players on the bench and coaches also got involved, with Balestier Under-17s coach Ali Imran Lomri seen being held back by some officials in a fiery exchange with his Sailors counterpart Jasni Hatta.

Despite receiving red cards during the match, both Ali and Jasni were involved in another confrontation on the pitch after the game.

An FAS review of the incident found that both coaches "acted in a manner unbecoming of their roles as ambassadors of their respective clubs and the SYL".

On top of the two-game ban for their sending-off offence, it issued Ali a one-match suspension and a $500 fine "for his aggressive conduct and inappropriate reaction during the match", while Jasni received a suspended $500 fine, conditional on his conduct until Dec 31, for using "inappropriate language that contributed to the confrontation".