Vietnam apologises for Indonesia bus attack
VIETNAMESE football authorities apologised yesterday after fans hurled stones at the Indonesian team bus shortly after their Suzuki Cup semifinal tie in Hanoi, breaking a window and injuring two of the visiting team’s staff.
The second leg of the fiercely contested tie at the My Dinh stadium on Wednesday night ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time, sending Indonesia into the final with a 4-3 aggregate score.
But as the victorious visitors left the stadium, a mob of Vietnamese football fans – reportedly on motorbikes – attacked their bus, throwing rocks and shattering at least one window.
Indonesia’s assistant coach and the team doctor were slightly injured in the incident, the general-secretary of Vietnam’s Football Federation Le Hoai Anh said yesterday.
“We would like to apologise to the Indonesian team for this unexpected incident,” Anh said, adding that a replacement vehicle was dispatched to pick up the team.
Security was also strengthened around the players’ hotel that evening, he added.
Many Vietnamese were swift to condemn the incident online.“A loss is a loss,” a reader wrote on state-controlled VNexpress news site. “Vietnamese football will never develop well if we carry on behaving like this.”
Vietnam won the biennial AFF Suzuki Cup in 2008, and Indonesia has lost in the finals four times between 2000 and 2010.
Indonesia advance to Wednesday’s final where they will play reigning champions Thailand, after their commanding 4-0 victory over Myanmar yesterday sealed a 6-0 aggregate win.
Sarawut Masuk opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, and a Theerathon Bunmathan penalty on 66 minutes doubled the War Elephants’ lead. Goals from Siroch Chatthong on 75 minutes and Chanathip Songkrasin eight minutes later put the match beyond doubt.
Thailand will be playing in their eighth final since the tournament began in 1996, and they have won the title four times.