KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan midfielder Nik Akif Syariman Nik Mat has been handed a two-match ban by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after being found guilty of violent conduct during a Premier League match on April 6.
FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu said in a statement yesterday that the suspension, which was handed out based on Article 50.1(d), and read together with Article 18.4 of the FAM Disciplinary Code, was decided at a meeting on Thursday.
Apart from the two-match ban, including an automatic suspension (when Kelantan played Royal Malaysia Police on April 12), Nik Akif was also given a stern warning that heavier punishment would be meted out if he repeated the offence.
The 20-year-old player was found guilty of punching Sarawak’s Mohd Badrul Hisham Mohamad Hussein in the abdomen during their
game at the State Stadium in Kuching.
The national Under-23 player will now sit out Kelantan’s Premier League match against Negeri Sembilan at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Bharu on April 20.
Meanwhile, Baljit said two M3 League players were handed six-match bans while another was suspended for four matches and fined RM500,
SAMB FC’s Jasmir Mehat and DDM FC’s Muhammad Rizqi Azman were banned for six matches, including one automatic suspension, as well as issued stern warnings of heavier punishment if they repeated their offences.
Baljit said that under Article 35 of the FAM Disciplinary Code, the players were banned for the next three matches, with the remaining three matches being a suspended sentence.
This means the remaining three-match suspension will only be invoked if there is any further breach of conduct by the players within the next six months.
Tun Razak FC’s Mohammad Firdaus Yusof was banned four matches and fined RM500 for showing an obscene sign at a match referee.
Firdaus, who has 14 days to pay the fine, was also given a stern warning that heavier punishment would be meted out if he repeated the offence. – Bernama
