Sri Lanka head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi slammed the match officials after his side’s 2-2 draw against Bhutan in their opening SAFF Championship fixture on Sunday, questioning what kind of refereeing they could expect when they face hosts Bangladesh.
The Kuwaiti coach demanded the introduction of VAR from the group stage and even suggested that SAFF should simply stage a Bangladesh-India final if commercial interests were the priority.
“We tried our best. We controlled the match. We were lucky because Sujan [Perera] saved one penalty, which I think was not a penalty. If there was VAR from the group stage, I believe the second goal was offside, but I don’t know. I think we had one penalty, but we were not given one,” Mutairi said at the post-match press conference.
“If all these refereeing mistakes are happening against Bhutan, what will happen to us against Bangladesh? This is a message to SAFF: introduce VAR now or find a solution to the refereeing,” he said, alleging that the officials had overlooked fouls against Sri Lanka while repeatedly blowing for infringements in Bhutan’s favour.
Mutairi then took a swipe at the tournament organisers, drawing on his experience of the 2021 edition to suggest that the competition was being shaped around a Bangladesh-India final, with the other teams seemingly playing secondary roles.
“I have experience from 2021. So please, if the commercial benefits mean you want India and Bangladesh in the final, just have a competition between those two. The others can play off in another window. This time, I am not being direct. Next time, if the referee makes the same mistakes and the atmosphere is the same, just give India and Bangladesh the final. Send the other teams home and save us the time we are wasting,” he alleged.
Asked why Bangladesh had entered the discussion when neither side in Sunday’s match was the host nation, Mutairi said his concerns stemmed from the prospect of facing the hosts.
“I will tell you why: because Bangladesh are the hosts. I know how referees sometimes… If all these mistakes are happening against Bhutan, what will happen against the host country, Bangladesh? What will SAFF do? Check 2021, check 2023, check 2019, check 2017, check 2015, check 2013. Check. So it is not about Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. It is about fair play,” he said.
Despite his reservations about the officiating, Mutairi expects an exciting encounter when Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh in their final Group A fixture on Wednesday.
“I am not afraid of anything. Football is 11 against 11. I promise one thing: the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match will be the best match in SAFF Cup history. We will do our best, and they will do their best. It is very important for Bangladesh to beat us by a two-goal margin, so we will go out and give our best,” he said. (The Daily Star)