Uzbekistan to appeal FIFA replay decision

GOAL.com September 7 Uzbekistan are to protest FIFA's order to replay their Asian World Cup Play-Off first leg with Bahrain after the referee made a 'technical error'. In the 39th minute of the game which Uzbekistan was leading 1-0, Japanese referee Toshimitsu Yoshida awarded the hosts a penalty that was converted but Yoshida spotted an encroaching player and didsallowed the goal, giving the surprised Bahraini players a free-kick. FIFA subsequently deemed the game 'invalid' and ordered a replay for October 8. Alisher Nikimbaev, the Uzbekistan Football Federation's Head of International Relations made the case for his country. The referee stole our second goal and now FIFA is stealing our first goal," said Alisher Nikimbaev, the UFF's Head of International Relations. "Now we must start the first match from 0-0 in the first minute. It's not fair for our team." "We don't agree with the decision and we will try to change everything during the FIFA Congress and the FIFA Exco meeting next week in Marrakech because if they want to replay this match we think we should not start from the first minute but from the 38th minute, from the penalty." "We must start with the penalty and if we score, we score. If we don't score, okay. We will start the game from the 38th minute but it's not fair to start to play from the first minute." "We did not ask to replay this match, we just asked FIFA to give us a more experienced referee for the second match in Bahrain," said Nikimabaev. Uzbekistan had requested that the second leg in Manama, scheduled for September 7, be officiated by a non-Asian official. "It is not the first time that the referee's decision has made us drop points. When we played against South Korea in the same competition at the very last minute the Koreans scored a goal that was clearly offside, but the referee allowed the goal and we drew 1-1. We should have won 1-0 and also now this thing has happened in the match against Bahrain." "Even if we hadn't scored the penalty, he must let us retake the penalty. He said one of our players entered the penalty area but if you see the tape you will see that the goalkeeper from Bahrain came forward one step before the kick. He also must be punished and the goal should have been allowed. If the referee is thinking our players went into the area before the kick he must allow us to retake this penalty."