Marching orders were justified, feel experts

Abu Dhabi: General Faroug Buzo, Chairman of the AFC Referees Committee, praised the referees who officiated the two matches on the first day of the 18th Gulf Cup on Wednesday.

Buzo, who was analysing the referees' performance for Abu Dhabi Sports Channel, said that "both Khalil Jalal and Abdul Rahman Abdu performed with the least possible blemishes. They did not commit any major mistake to affect the outcome of the matches."

Saudi Arabian Jalal sent off UAE's Hilal Saeed in the 25th minute of their game against Oman. "Hilal's tackle was dangerous and deliberate and the law of the game awards a red card for such offences."

Qatari referee Abdu also sent off Mousaad Nada of Kuwait for collecting two yellow cards. "Nada should have realised that objecting to referee's decisions will earn him a warning and already he has one. He plays professional football and he should know better," Buzo explained.

UAE's former Fifa referee Ali Bu Jsaim also agreed, in his programme for Dubai Sports Channel, that both incidents of sending off were correct and that both referees were good in their judgments.

Indonesia have sacked English coach Peter Withe after the national team failed to reach the semi-finals of the Asean championships, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Football Association said, adds Reuters from Jakarta.

"We have come to a decision that Peter Withe's contract will be terminated," Nugraha Besoes said by telephone after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the Indonesian team in Jakarta.

Withe, an ex-England and Aston Villa striker, had been told to reach the final of the competition or face the axe.

Indonesia finished third in Group B behind Singapore and Vietnam, who thrashed Laos 9-0 on Wednesday to go through to the final four on goal-difference.