Football
Nicolas Anil 7y

Felda United boss B. Satianathan offers his watch to MSL referee

Felda United coach B. Satiananthan offered to give his Casio watch to the referee after being outraged by time-wasting in his team's 1-0 defeat to Perak in the Malaysia Super League.

The result snapped Felda's eight-match unbeaten streak and saw Perak move one point above the fighters into fifth position on the table.

Yashir Pinto's first-half penalty settled matters at Shah Alam Stadium, but Satianathan was furious that referee Mohd Zohri Tajuddin awarded only three minutes stoppage time in the first 45 minutes.

"When there is an incident involving players injured or even staying on ground, the referee needs to take this into account by stopping the time," Satia told ESPN FC.

"They have to consider the stoppages and the players' antics. All these incidents are time-consuming and should be reflected in the added time.

"I hope FIFA can amend the rules on this. I have an original Casio watch, I can give it to the referee if he wants. I understand a referee's job is hard, which is why I want to help him.

"If he doesn't want a new watch, then maybe we should hire timekeepers for matches from now on."

The former national coach, however, acknowledged that Felda were below their best in defeat.

"We didn't start off well, and it set the tone for the rest of the match. We also did not have players who could distribute the ball well today. Teams are beginning to know us better, so I may have to find a different approach after this," he said.

Perak coach Mehmet Durakovic praised his players for their solid and disciplined performance against an in-form team.

"The players did a professional job. Felda did not have any clear chances in front of goal, and that was largely due to the steady presence of Shahrul Saad who played in defence," Durakovic said.

The ex-Selangor boss added that Perak were preparing to play their upcoming home matches on the road, due to the unavailability of their ground in Ipoh.

  

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