Ahmed Al-Ansari, media officer of Al-Sadd Club, commented on the skirmish that occurred between his team’s striker Akram Afif and the technical staff of Al-Duhail team during the two teams’ match in the Ooredoo Cup semi-finals.
Al-Kass TV cameras monitored a verbal altercation between Al-Sadd player Akram Afif and Al-Duhail coach Hernan Crespo and his technical staff after the end of the first half of the match between the two teams.
video| An argument between Akram Afif and Al Duhail coach in the Ooredoo Cup amid controversy on the communication sites pic.twitter.com/77nVObyByK
– Al Sharq Newspaper – Qatar (@alsharq_portal) March 25, 2023
The Disciplinary Committee of the Qatar Football Association decided to suspend Sebastian Enrique, assistant coach of Al-Duhail Club, for two matches (disciplinary suspension) and to impose a fine of 10,000 riyals only.
The committee’s decision came due to unsportsmanlike behavior and protest against the referee’s decisions in the Al-Duhail Club and Al-Sadd Club match on March 23, 2023, according to Article No. (1/49/bc) of the Disciplinary Regulations for the 2022/2023 sports season.
Al-Ansari said – in statements to Al-Kass TV – that the intervention of the assistant coach of Al-Duhail is what ignited the spark with Akram Afif, the striker of Al-Zaeem Al-Sadawi.
Al-Ansari explained what happened from the beginning, saying: The shot from the beginning was about "throw-in" A verbal skirmish took place between Akram and the Argentine defender of Al-Duhail, and the camera monitored that verbal skirmish, then a second ball came near the bench line, so the Argentine player got down to the ground to maneuver on Akram Afif’s eating and what he saved – praise be to God – but the referee did not count it, unfortunately, because it is outside the stadium, and here Intent has begun.
The media official said: Until now, it has become a game of competition between two players, and everything is normal, except that the spark was ignited by the intervention of the assistant coach of Al-Duhail, and Akram settled this move (shut up) for the assistant coach.
He added: It is a normal thing between the players and they were coming out of the stadium as normal, and the conversation continued inside the corridor.
The media official of Al-Sadd Club confirmed that Akram Afif did not provoke anyone, and said that neither Akram nor the Argentine player is acquitted, but I say that the one who sparked this issue was the assistant coach of Al-Duhail.
