AFC suspends five over brawl

Asia's football body has ordered one-match suspensions and may take further action against three players and two coaches involved in a brawl that marred a regional AFC Champions League semi-final. Wednesday's game between South Korea's Suwon Bluewings and Qatar's Al Sadd was temporarily halted as both teams took part in a late-game melee. The Asian Football Confederation said it had banned Suwon Bluewings player Stevica Ristic and coach Ko Jong-Su from the second-leg match in Doha on Wednesday. Al Sadd players Kader Keita and Mamadou Niang as well as goalkeeper coach Suhail Saber Ali similarly received the one-match suspensions, the AFC said in a statement late yesterday. The AFC said it had also opened further proceedings against the five, which will be referred to its disciplinary committee. The violence erupted late in the second half after Niang raced through for his breakaway second goal while much of Suwon's team were tending to an injured player. The resulting pushing and shoving degenerated into an all-out brawl. Al Sadd won the match 2-0.