FIFA bans Bangladesh's Al Amin for 15 matches over Maldives brawl

Bangladesh national team striker Al Amin has been handed a 15-match suspension by FIFA for his involvement in a confrontation during the four-nation tournament match against the Maldives on June 7.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) General Secretary Imran Hossain Tushar confirmed the punishment, while a BFF source said the federation received the FIFA disciplinary decision several days ago.

The incident erupted late in the match after a series of contentious refereeing decisions. In stoppage time, Maldives forward Hasan Inaz went down following a collision with Bangladesh’s Pias Ahmed, prompting referee Sekaran Senthilnathan to award a free-kick to the hosts. The decision sparked protests from Bangladesh players.

Midfielder Mirajul Islam was first shown a red card after leaving the bench to protest. Al Amin was then sent off for disputing the referee’s decision on the pitch. The striker was also involved in an incident in which the referee was pushed.

Tensions escalated shortly afterwards when Maldives’ Ibrahim Nasir and Bangladesh’s Manjurur Rahman exchanged words during a challenge in Bangladesh’s half. Players from both sides then converged and became involved in a physical confrontation, forcing coaching staff and officials onto the pitch to restore order. The unrest also spilled into the stands.

The match eventually ended 1-1.

FIFA had initially imposed financial penalties on Bangladesh’s team manager and Mirajul about a week after the tournament ended. FIFA has now imposed the 15-match ban on Al Amin and taken further disciplinary action against Mirajul over the same incident.