AIFF has continuously faced embarrassment over the poor refereeing standards in the ISL in the 2017-18 season. Match referee Akash Routh added to the Indian football body's woes by producing two glaring gaffes during the Hero I-League match between Chennai City FC and Mohun Bagan in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
READ: Chennai City plays out goalless draw against Bagan
Akash Routh produced a yellow card for dissent to Chennai City's Edwin Sydney Vanspaul in the 81st minute before brandishing red card to send the player off. Confusion befell the home side players since it was the midfielder's first caution of the match.
Protests were led by skipper Michael Soosairaj and Vanspaul as the melee dragged for over eight minutes. An additional 12 minutes were added on at the end of the regulation 90 minutes of play by the fourth official as Chennai City held Mohun Bagan to a 0-0 draw.
Ironically, in minutes leading up to Vanspaul's bizarre sending off, Tarif Akhand received his second yellow of the match but Routh failed to show him the red card.
An irate Soosairaj told Sportstar after the match, "It was Edwin's first yellow card. But the referee had his name in the book already so he sent him off. The assistant referee too pointed out that it was Edwin's first yellow of the game but the referee wouldn't listen."
If the red card stands, Vanspaul will miss Chennai City's next match against Shillong Lajong on Saturday. "We will be making an appeal to the league to rescind the dismissal," said Soosairaj.
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