Dubai: An inquiry into the behaviour of expelled Under-23 midfielder Mohammad Khalfan Al Harasi threatens to overshadow the UAE’s Asian Games campaign, which kicks off against Syria in Indonesia on Tuesday.
The Al Ain player was sent home for sparking a mass brawl during the UAE’s friendly against Malaysia on Friday.
The UAE Football Association apologised to their Malaysian counterparts and promised an internal inquiry.
- Ghanem Al Hajeri | Al Ain chairman
Al Harasi also apologised for his actions but said that he was provoked after an unnamed Malaysian player spat on him.
In a series of tweets Al Ain chairman Ghanem Al Hajeri praised the decision to send the player home, and welcomed an inquiry into the incident.
“We must look for the reasons that led to the chaos on the pitch,” tweeted Al Hajeri.
“We look forward to benefiting from our participation in this Olympic experience at all levels; behavioural, administrative and technical, and we hope that the report and investigation will be based on the questions and include all the negative aspects.”
The UAE play Syria in their Group C opener at the Jalak Harupat Stadium in Soreang, Indonesia from 4pm UAE time on Tuesday.
They also play East Timor from 1pm UAE time on Thursday and China from 4pm UAE time on Sunday. The top two teams from each group and the top four third-placed sides qualify for the knockout stages.
The UAE’s best finish in four appearances at this event was a silver medal in China in 2010 where they lost 1-0 to Japan in the final.
