The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has received several queries surrounding the second yellow card and subsequent red card issued to Iraq’s player number 18, Aymen Hussein, by the match Referee Alireza Faghani in the 77th minute of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Round of 16 encounter between Iraq and Jordan on 29 January 2024 at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The AFC aims to address these queries by offering a comprehensive interpretation of the laws of the game and the rationale behind the Referee’s decision:
Decision on the field:
First yellow card 45+3 minutes (for dissent by word and action), second yellow card 77th minute (for excessively delaying the restart of the game), and subsequent red card to Iraq player number 18 Aymen Hussein for the second cautionable offence committed.
Explanation/Reasoning:
In adherence with the IFAB (The International Football Association Board) Laws of the Game, the decision to issue a second yellow card to Iraq’s player number 18 Aymen Hussein during the 77th minute was based on Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct – Disciplinary Action: Delaying the Restart of the Play) whereby the Referee must caution players who excessively delay a restart.
Aymen Hussein excessively delayed the restart of the game after scoring a goal in the 75th minute. During the player’s celebrations, the Referee strongly warned Aymen Hussein three times before finally showing him the second yellow card.
In this regard, the second caution issued to Aymen Hussein was the correct decision by the Referee, as per the Laws of the Game.
The AFC strongly encourages fans, media, and stakeholders to respect the decisions made by match officials.
BY. Nadeem Faisal Baiga
