Iran’s protest over Iraqi player rejected

SYDNEY: Iran’s protest that Iraq fielded an ineligible player in their stormy Asian Cup quarter-final was shot down following lengthy deliberation by tournament organisers on Sunday.
Iran lodged a formal complaint, claiming that midfielder Alaa Abdulzehra failed a drugs test while playing for an Iranian club last year, but it was rejected by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) disciplinary committee.
“It’s rejected, they said this player can carry on and play,” Iranian delegation head Houshang Moghaddas told AFP. “Iraq tomorrow can play ... tomorrow morning we fly (home),” he added.
An AFC statement released later said that the protest was “unfounded”, without giving further details.
The decision follows several hours of closed-door talks in Sydney with Iraqi and Iranian delegates both giving evidence to the AFC’s disciplinary committee.
It means 2007 champions Iraq, who won Friday’s combustible match on penalties, are free to contest their semi-final against South Korea on Monday.
Iraqi coach Radhi Shenaishil insisted the 11th-hour protest had not distracted his team as they made final preparations for the last-four clash in Sydney.
“The objection has been officially closed and the subject is closed from our side,” he told reporters at Stadium Australia. “We have nothing to add. The (protest) from the Iran team is something they created and hasn’t affected us at all for tomorrow’s match.”
The AFC’s decision also avoids the messy scenario of throwing out Iraq and reinstating Iran, which would probably also have meant rescheduling the semi-final.
Iran’s protest centred on their claim that Abdulzehra, now playing for Iraq’s Al Shorta, failed a drugs test while at Iranian club side Tractor Sazi last year.