Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Disciplinary Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has punished the Uzbekistan Football Association for throwing stones by fans in a match against Iraq.
In the match between Uzbekistan U23 and Iraq U23 within the framework of the Asian Cup, the referee dismissed the goalkeeper of the Uzbekistan national team Abduvakhid Nematov. After that, fans at the Pakhtakor stadium in Tashkent began throwing various objects, including stones, onto the field. The referee suspended the match for a few minutes because of this. Several journalists were injured in the incident.
The AFC Disciplinary Committee disqualified Abduvakhid Nematov for three matches and fined him for US$500.
The AFC also decided that the semifinal match between the youth teams of Uzbekistan and Japan at the Bunyodkor stadium in Tashkent on 15 June will be held without spectators. The Uzbekistan Football Association will also pay a US$50,000 fine.
On 11 June, Uzbekistan U23 defeated the Iraqi team in a penalty shootout. The match ended with the score 2:2. In the penalty shootout, the national team of Uzbekistan won with a score of 3:2.
The Tashkent police department reported the arrest of 47 people. According to the agency, 19 fans were brought to administrative responsibility. The rest are under investigation.