AFC Cup matches postponed, FAM seeks compensation for breach of protocol by Bengaluru FC
Group D matches for this year's AFC Cup have been postponed indefinitely following Bengaluru FC having breached the Maldives Covid-19 health and safety protocols
Group D matches for the AFC Cup scheduled to be held in the Maldives have been postponed indefinitely
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has decided to postpone matches of the AFC Cup which had been preciously scheduled to be held in the Maldives, as some players of Bengaluru FC had been photographed breaching Covid-19 safety protocols ahead of their game with Club Eagles on Tuesday.
Despite a surge in Covid-19 cases across the Maldives, health authorities had issued a special permit to host matches of the AFC Cup under strict guidelines. Under the previous schedule, Maldives' Club Eagles were set to play Bengaluru FC in the playoffs for the AFC Cup on 11 May.
However, players of Bengaluru FC were reportedly photographed on the streets of Male' ahead of their game, in strict violation of the Covid-19 health and safety protocols put in place to host the AFC Cup in Maldives. The players had been camping at Hotel Jen by Shangri-La in Male' City, but had been seen out and about in Male' City on Saturday night.
In a press statement released on Sunday, the AFC revealed that the AFC Cup (South) Group Stage matches will be postponed until further natives, with all participating clubs who have travelled to the Maldives now required to arrange for their return home. The AFC statement also requires teams to strictly follow the Covid-19 health and travel protocols established by the Maldives in arranging their departure. AFC is also now working to cancel the travel arrangements for teams that have not entered the Maldives for their matches, the statement reads.
While the breach in protocol by Bengaluru FC had been debated hotly over the past day, CEO of the team Parth Jindal tweeted on behalf of his team, and stated that he was extremely apologetic for the inexcusable behavior of three of the team's foreign players and staff in Male' City. CEO Jindal assured that strict action would be taken against them, and assured that such actions would not be repeated in the future.
With the AFC Cup's Group D matches postponed indefinitely over the incident, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof tweeted on Saturday evening, stating that the behavior displayed by Bengaluru FC was unacceptable. Mahloof added that the team should leave Maldives immediately, as the country could not afford to entertain such a grave disregard for public health and safety amid a devastating surge in Covid-19 cases being reported, especially in the country's congested capital city.
Mahloof revealed that the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) had been informed of the breach in protocol by Bengaluru FC, and that FAM had been asked to make arrangements for the team's departure, after notifying the AFC of their breach of Covid-19 safety protocols in the Maldives.
Maldives' Minister of Sports Ahmed Mahloof stated that the country will no longer be hosting Bengaluru FC, and had requested that FAM ask for the team to be penalized by the AFC. In addition to this, as the breach in protocol resulted in the endangerment of public health and safety, it is reported that Football Association of Maldives will also seek compensation from Bengaluru FC.
