Dollah’s jumbo shock FIRST LEG SEMI-FINALS FIXTURES FA CUP
Elephants coach slams FAM for one-match ban on ‘victim’ Mohamadou
KUANTAN: Pahang coach Dollah Salleh has described FA Cup hero Mohamadou Sumareh’s ban as a “hammer blow”.
Dollah was also quick to slam the Football Association of Malaysia ( FAM) for handing Mohamadou a one-match suspension after their star winger had helped dump defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) out of the FA Cup quarter- finals last Sunday.
The Gambian scored a late goal – three minutes from time – in the return leg of the quarter-finals at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Baru. JDT won the game 2-1, but Pahang advanced 4-3 on aggregate.
On Tuesday, FAM disciplinary committee chairman Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu posted the names of players – including Mohamadou’s – who were given a one-match ban and RM3,000 fine for misconduct and disciplinary reasons on FAM’s website.
The statement did not specify why Mohamadou was banned, but the offence is believed to have been committed in the aftermath of a challenge by JDT’s Afiq Fazail in the second-half of their FA Cup quarter-final tie.
“I don’t understand why Mohamadou was banned ... the referee didn’t issue a card either,” said Dollah after the 1-1 draw with Felda United in a Super League match at the Darul Makmur Stadium on Wednesday.
“He (Mohamadou ) gets hit ... and is banned. What kind of ruling is this?
“I don’t think we need to give any explanation to FAM ... they owe us an explanation.
“How is it that the victim is the one who gets a ban?”
Dollah said that the Pahang FA have yet to receive an official letter concerning the ban.
Mohamadou, meanwhile, said that he’s been trying to figure out what he did wrong.
“The whole night I was confused ... thinking about what was it that I did wrong.
“I watched the video over and over again and I don’t see why I was at fault,” said Mohamadou.
“After all the hard work to make it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, it’s a horrible feeling to find out that I can’t play.”
Despite the suspension, Mohamadou is confident that Pahang will beat Negri Sembilan in the first leg of the semi-finals at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan on Sunday.
Mohamadou gets hit ... and is banned. What kind of ruling is this? I don’t think we need to give any explanation to FAM ... they owe us an explanation. How is it that the victim is the one who gets a ban?
Dollah Salleh