PUTRAJAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is dismayed over the red card a Harimau Muda squad member received during the Group B SEA Games opening match against Timur Leste at Bishan stadium, Singapore, yesterday.
He said Mohd Nazmi Faiz Mansor’s instant dismissal from the game could have easily been avoided as he committed a disciplinary foul.
Nazmi was sent off the field by referee Foo Chuan Hui instantly following a spitting incident with Timor Leste’s Filipe Oliveira during the first half.
“That was a regrettable action and as players, they must know that if they continued to act in that manner, they would not only receive a red card and be sent off individually, but they would also disappoint their team and country,”
“They (offenders) would bring the team down as it would be short of members, which was a huge disadvantage.
“Although the Harimau Muda players were a young, their age should not mean that they are stupid,” he said.
Khairy said this after flagging off the Team Malaysia Fan Run 2015 at Dataran Putrajaya, here, this morning.
Despite the red card, Malaysia still managed to defeat Timur Leste 1-0 as D Saarvindran netted the ball earlier in the 11th minute.