CHENNAI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey issued an official statement on Wednesday regarding the standard of refereeing during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Qatar and India. The controversy arose when one of Qatar’s goals, scored by Yousef Ayman, sparked outrage due to the ball being out of play before being pulled back onto the field and converted.
"We believe it is imperative to uphold the integrity of the game and ensure that such incidents are properly addressed," stated an AIFF spokesperson. "We trust FIFA and the AFC to carry out a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate action to address any shortcomings in officiating."
The AIFF, after consulting the Chief Refereeing Officer, has decided to correspond with the FIFA Head of Qualifiers, AFC Head of Referees, AFC Head of Competition, and the Match Commissioner to formally investigate the contentious first goal. This incident, which essentially cost the Blue Tigers a spot in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, has prompted the AIFF to request a thorough investigation into the matter.
"Given its severity, we have respectfully urged all concerned officials to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and explore the possibility of providing sporting compensation to address the injustice," stated Chaubey in a release issued by the AIFF.