SAFF Championship 2023 accused of ‘very very bad refereeing’ as Indian coach Igor Stimac gets sent off

India's encounter with Kuwait in the SAFF Championship 2023 ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was marred by controversies and heated exchanges on the field. Assistant coach Mahesh Gawli expressed his disappointment with the refereeing, calling it "very bad" and suggesting that the standard of the tournament may suffer as a result. A total of four yellow and two red cards were shown during the match, with even the coaching staff being involved in altercations.

“Very very bad refereeing, if we continue with such referees in SAFF Cup the standard will drop,” said Gawli.

Head coach Igor Stimac, who had just returned from a one-match suspension, was shown a yellow card and later sent off in the final moments of the game. Stimac chose to sit in the stands instead of heading to the tunnel, prompting further debate about the referee's decisions. 

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Sahal Abdul Samad, a substitute for India, was also involved in an incident where he was shoved to the ground by a Kuwait defender, leading to a confrontation between players from both teams.

The tensions escalated when both Rahim Ali and the Kuwaiti defender were shown straight red cards for their misconduct. The referee added eight minutes of stoppage time due to the delays caused by the incidents on the pitch.

In the final moments, Kuwait managed to score an injury-time equaliser, further fueling the heated atmosphere as their players celebrated the goal in a hostile manner, provoking Indian players and staff in the dugout.

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Assistant coach Mahesh Gawli defended Igor Stimac, claiming that the yellow cards shown to him were unjustified. He also alleged that the Kuwait players verbally abused Stimac, but the referee failed to take appropriate action. Gawli called for a change in the standard of refereeing.

With the 1-1 draw, India finished second in Group A and secured a spot in the semifinals of the SAFF Championship.