By David Gold
May 4 – Thailand has been expelled from qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London after fielding a suspended player during the first qualifying round.
Thailand won 5-4 on penalties against Palestine after the pair exchanged 1-0 victories.
The Thais had been due to meet Bahrain in the next round, though the developments have led to Bahraini media suggesting that they would instead be playing the Palestinians.
Sucharit Channthakul was suspended for the first leg of the first round qualifier but Thailand fielded him unwittingly, and it was this which prompted their expulsion.
The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Disciplinary Committee made the ruling and informed the Thai Football Association that they had been eliminated.
Channthakul’s ban dates back to 2008, when he faced suspension during the under-19 Asian Championship.
Thai Football Association secretary-general Ong-art Korshinka said that they would be appealing the ruling, and suggested that the match commissioner at the game, held in Bangkok, should have informed him during the pre-match meeting.
“We have been informed about the matter and we are appealing,” Korshinka confirmed, before saying that the Association’s President, Worawi Makudi, was in discussions with AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam over the issue.
Makudi laid into the AFC by claiming that they were to blame for Channthakol’s participation in the qualifying game.
The FIFA Executive Committee member said that the match commissioner would usually inform the two sides of who is suspended, and argued that on this occasion they did not.
The AFC have said that the Olympic football tournament is organised by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Worawi insisted Thailand would appeal if bin Hammam does not step in to help out, saying “we will fight till the end although it is difficult for us to win.”
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