AFC Fines Sri Lanka Assistant Coach $5,000 for Disrespectful Remarks Against Maldives

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has fined Sri Lanka's assistant coach, Muhammad Imran, 5,000 US dollars over remarks he made about the Maldives using disrespectful language, according to reports in Sri Lankan newspapers. The action follows the match between the Maldives and Sri Lanka in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers' Development Phase currently being held in Myanmar. After that match, Imran approached Maldives players and officials and used disrespectful expressions about the Maldives, and a video of the incident later became public. The Sri Lanka Football Federation (FFSL) had also previously taken action against Imran, deciding to remove him from his position as the team's assistant coach. Lankan newspapers reported that the AFC has given a period of 10 days to appeal the penalty. However, it is not expected that the Sri Lankan football authority will appeal the matter. The reports also said that Imran, who used insulting words aimed at the Maldives, is being considered for a two-year suspension from football by the president of Sri Lanka's FA, Jaswar Umar. On the pitch, the Maldives' youth team won its match against Sri Lanka 4-0, a result that also secured the Maldives a place from the qualifiers phase. The match had become a replacement match. Maldives and Sri Lanka had also met in the U-20 SAF Championship held in the Maldives this year. In the Maldives' first match of that tournament, Sri Lanka came from behind to win 3-2 after the Maldives had scored two goals, a result that disappointed the hosts.