Jakarta: Malaysia’s football association will file a formal complaint with Fifa after bottles and flares were hurled at the country’s supporters during their World Cup 2022 qualifying game against Indonesia on Thursday, Malaysia’s sports minister said.
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The South Korean referee was also forced to stop the game for several minutes after Indonesian fans invaded the pitch at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium. Malaysia came from behind to win the match 3-2 in stoppage time.
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“Gangsterism will not be tolerated in any way. The safety of Malaysian players and supporters is a priority,” Malaysia’s Sports Minister Syed Saddiq said on Instagram after attending the game.
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Indonesia and Malaysia are in Group G, along with UAE, Vietnam and Thailand.
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Indonesian police also fired tear gas outside the stadium on Thursday night to disperse the crowd, while Malaysian supporters had to be escorted by anti-riot police out of the area.
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“On behalf of the Indonesian people and the government, we would like to apologise for the unpleasant actions that were carried out by Indonesian supporters,” Indonesia’s Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi said in a statement.
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The Morning and Evening Brief###
The Morning and Evening Brief