UAE coach Mahdi Ali adorns the National Sport front page on Tuesday, January 20 after slamming referee Ryuji Sato following his side’s defeat to Iran in the Asian Cup.
A draw against Iran would have been enough for the UAE to top the group, however, Reza Ghoochannejhad’s 91st minute header reversed the order and the UAE will now likely face Japan in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve been 35 years in football, in the past I’ve never talked about referees as making mistakes is natural,” Mahdi said. “But I’m surprised the AFC appointed a Japanese referee when we could be facing Japan.”
For the full story, visit: Mahdi Ali rages at referee after UAE's loss to Iran in Asian Cup
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