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Uzbek v Bahrain to be replayed
(footballasia.com)
Updated: 2005-09-06 14:54

Last Saturday's AFC Play-off between Uzbekistan and Bahrain has been declared invalid by FIFA, the world's governing body, due to a technical error by the referee.


Confusion reigns in Taskent as Toshimitsu Yoshida explains his decision to a baffled Bahrain [WSG]


An emergency meeting of the Bureau of of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Commitee on Monday evening ruled that Japanese referee Toshimitsu Yoshida erred in ruling out a successful Uzbekistan penalty in the 39th minute and awarding Bahrain an indirect free-kick instead for encroachment by an Uzbek player as the kick was taken.

The commitee ruled that this was a 'technical error' since the Laws of the Game state that, in such circumstances, the kick must be retaken.

The decision was made by the the Bureau and was communicated to both teams in the early hours of Tuesday morning following a formal protest by the Uzbekistan Football Federation.

After the game, which ended 1-0 to Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Football Federation (UFF) lodged a formal complaint to FIFA, requesting the game be cancelled and awarded to Uzbekistan 3-0. This was rejcted by the committee.

"The bureau, taking into consideration that the referee in the match in question had indeed committed a technical error, established that, as a consequence, the match needed to be replayed," read a statement from FIFA.

"The protest put forward by the Uzbekistan team for the match...to be considered a forfeit with a 3-0 result is rejected."

The decision was taken by Lennart Johannson, Chairman of the 2006 World Cup Organising Committee, Julio Grondona, Deputy Chairman of the 2006 World Cup Organising Committee, Dr Mong Joon Chung, FIFA Vice-President and AFC Executive Member, and Urs Linsi, FIFA General Secretary.

The first leg of the the game will now be played on October 8 in Tashkent. The second leg of the game, scheduled for Wednesday night in Manama, has also been cancelled and will be instead be played on October 12.

The winners of the match will advance to a play-off in November with the fourth-placed team in the CONCACAF qualifying competition. The winner of this two-leg encounter will qualify for next year's World Cup.

Neither Bahrain, who finished in third place in Group B of the Asian Qualifiers, and Uzbekistan, who finished third in Group A, have ever played at the FIFA World Cup Finals.

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan and Korea Republic have already booked their spots at Germany 2006 as the the Asian qualifiers.



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