“It was not a penalty and I told the referee also,” was the response from A.C.Frank when ThePapare.com queried him about the controversial penalty which referee Mohamed Irshan gave in the match between Air Force and Colombo FC.
The incident happened in injury time of the first match of the Dialog Champions League, Super 8 round with Colombo FC leading 3-1 against Air Force. In the dying minutes A.C.Frank who had already scored two goals in the first half was allegedly fouled by goalkeeper Ruwan Arunasiri.
Referee Irshan pointed to the spot and showed Arunasiri a yellow card adding to the yellow card he had already got in the first half also for a foul and penalty. Frank who jumped to avoid the goalkeeper landed awkwardly on his left foot, the same foot on which he had an ACL surgery which took him out for a season last year.
He was writhing in pain, apparently re-injuring the same knee but showed his sportsmanship by letting the referee know that it was not a penalty. However the plea fell on deaf ears of the referee as he stuck with his decision and sent Arunasiri off giving the red card.
“I told the referee also at that time. The goalkeeper didn’t give me contact, its just that I twisted my injured knee when I landed and I fell,” Frank added.
In international leagues there have been incidents where the referee has given the penalty and when the player who was allegedly fouled tells the referee it is not, the decision is reversed. The referee in question, Mohamed Irshan was awarded the best referee at the recent FA Cup and also blew the whistle in the final. He further had the time to think about the decision and reverse it but to everyone’s surprise he stood by it.
“The FFSL should cancel the red card. I beg the Federation to cancel the red card because the goalkeeper did nothing there. I feel sorry to hear that the referee gave the keeper the red (card),” Frank finally added.
