AIFF calls on FIFA and AFC to investigate refereeing error in Qatar-India match

CHENNAI: All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey on Wednesday issued an official statement regarding the quality of refereeing during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Qatar and India. Controversy arose when one of Qatar’s goals, scored by Yousef Ayman, sparked outrage due to the ball being out of play before being brought onto the field and converted.

“We believe it is imperative to preserve the integrity of the game and ensure that such incidents are properly addressed,” an AIFF spokesperson said. “We trust FIFA and the AFC to conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action to address any deficiencies in the refereeing.”

The AIFF, after consulting the Refereeing Officer, has decided to correspond with the FIFA Qualifiers Officer, the AFC Referees Officer, the AFC Competition Officer and the Match Commissioner to formally investigate the first disputed goal. The incident, which essentially cost the Blue Tigers a place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, prompted the AIFF to call for a thorough investigation into the matter.

“Given its seriousness, we have respectfully urged all relevant officials to conduct a thorough investigation and explore the possibility of providing sporting compensation to address this injustice,” Chaubey said in a statement released by the AIFF.