AFC Confirms Decision to Red Card Hussein was Correct
By Liu Bing
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially confirmed that the decision to show a red card to Iranian forward Hussein in the previous Asian Cup 1/8 finals match between Iraq and Jordan was indeed correct.
In a statement issued by the AFC, it was explained that the decision to show Iraq’s No. 18 player Hussein a second yellow card in the 77th minute was based on Rule 12 (Delay of the Game), which states that players who unduly delay the restart of play must be warned. The AFC also emphasized that the referee had strongly warned Hussein three times after he scored, but he still continued to delay the restart of play.
The controversy surrounding the red card decision by Iranian professional football referee Faghani has caused widespread debate. Faghani, who previously worked as a referee in the Iranian Football Super League, has been the center of attention since immigrating to Australia and becoming a full-time referee in the Australian Football Premier League in 2019.
The AFC’s clarification on the incident aims to provide transparency and ensure that the rules and regulations of the game are upheld. With this statement, the AFC seeks to bring closure to the debate surrounding Hussein’s red card and reassert its commitment to fair play and integrity in football.