Al-Amin, Mirajul punished over Maldives clash

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has handed Bangladeshi forward Al-Amin a 15-match ban and suspended forward Mirajul Islam for two matches following a chaotic confrontation during a recent tournament in the Maldives.

The incident occurred on 7 June during the third group stage do-or-die match of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament. While the Bangladesh senior team was in San Marino during the FIFA window, the Bangladesh Olympic team took part in this four-nation event.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw. The home side opened the scoring in the 13th minute through a penalty, before Mirajul equalised for Bangladesh with a penalty in the 53rd minute. However, tensions rose on the pitch, leading to a late scuffle between players from both sides.

During the game, Bangladeshi players displayed aggressive behaviour, resulting in red cards for two players and team manager Shaheen Hasan. 

Al-Amin, who has previously played for the senior national team, received a straight red card for pushing the referee twice while protesting decisions. Mirajul was sent off for allegedly abusing the match official from the bench.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) media manager Sadman Sakib stated the suspensions will apply to Bangladesh’s senior competitive games and Tier 1 international friendlies. FIFA also fined Mirajul and manager Shaheen.

The 15-match ban is a major blow for Al-Amin, effectively ruling him out of international football for nearly two years. The national team typically plays seven to eight matches a year, though they played 13 in 2023 and just three in 2022. This is the biggest ban for a Bangladeshi footballer since 1989, when captain Elias Hossain was banned for a year after assaulting a referee at the South Asian (SA) Games in Pakistan.

The BFF had formed an investigation committee and is currently reviewing the bans to decide if they will appeal. The federation might cover the fines for the players, while the manager may pay his own.

Bangladeshi players claimed the Maldives footballers were aggressive and physically attacked them, and that the refereeing was poor.

It could not immediately be confirmed whether any Maldives players or officials have received similar suspensions.