World football’s governing body, FIFA, has handed a 15-match suspension to Bangladesh national team forward Al-Amin following a physical altercation and referee abuse during an international tournament in the Maldives. Midfielder Mirajul Islam also received a two-match ban for his involvement in the same incident.
The lengthy sanction poses a devastating blow to Al-Amin, who has earned just two senior caps for his country. Given the national team’s typical international schedule, a 15-match ban will effectively sideline the forward from international football for nearly two years.
Heavy disciplinary sanctions from FIFA are relatively rare in Bangladeshi football history. The last comparable penalty occurred in 1989, when national team captain Elias Hossain received a one-year suspension for assaulting a referee during the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Pakistan.
This is not the first instance of disciplinary trouble in Al-Amin’s career. During the 2020–21 Premier League season, while playing for Arambagh Krira Sangha, the forward was handed a one-year domestic ban alongside several teammates after the club was found guilty of match-fixing.
The recent incident unfolded on 7 June during a crucial match for the Bangladesh Olympic team against hosts Maldives in the Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament, organised to mark the 75th anniversary of the Football Association of Maldives. Tensions escalated during injury time when Bangladeshi player Pias Ahmed collided with Maldivian defender Hassan Inaz whilst competing for possession.
When Indian referee Sekaran Senthilnathan awarded a free-kick to the Maldives, Bangladeshi players voiced fierce protests, rapidly escalating the pitchside confrontation into physical pushing and shoving. Mirajul Islam was shown a red card after leaving the substitutes’ bench to join the altercations. Al-Amin was subsequently dismissed after vehemently confronting the official and pushing him. The tempestuous encounter ultimately ended in a 1–1 draw.
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