Heated situation during a football match at Sugathadasa Stadium - Police protection for the referee

The end of a football match held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo the day before yesterday was not a common sight that sports fans would expect. The match between Colombo Football Club and Red Star team, held under the Super Six round of the main professional Super League football tournament, concluded amidst severe unrest.

The main referee, Chamalka Ridmal, and assistant referees, Messrs. Buddhika Dias and Asif Askar, who officiated the match, had to leave the stadium under heavy police guard after the game. This was due to the strong protests against the controversial referee decisions they made throughout the match.

The unrest began in the 15th minute of the match. Following a corner kick by Red Star player Mohamed Ijaz, Nigerian national Peter Silvanus, who was in front of the goalpost, headed the ball. As the ball landed within the goal line, clearly becoming a goal, Colombo Football Club's midfielder Ahmed Sashni attempted to block it. Although the Red Star players strongly demanded it be signaled as a goal, the referee ignored the request and continued the game. Had a goal been awarded at that moment, the match would have been tied 1-1, and its entire complexion could have changed.

However, the intensity of the match further escalated due to an illegal act in the 45th minute. The situation became even more heated when Red Star player Chamod Dilshan illegally head-butted Iranian national Kourosh Manish, who represented Colombo Football Club. As a result, the referee took action to show Chamod Dilshan a red card and expel him from the field. Amidst this chaotic atmosphere, the referee also had to issue a red card warning to Adham Marikkar from Red Star team management and a yellow card warning to Rifas Sadeek.

As the match neared its end, specifically in the 85th minute, an incident further escalated tensions between players and spectators. As Red Star midfielder Mohamed Rishad was dribbling the ball towards the goalpost, Colombo Football Club's defenders Charith Ratnayake and Niran Kanishka chased after him. Inside the penalty area, Niran Kanishka's illegal tackle struck Mohamed Rishad's leg, causing him to fall. Although it was an instance where a penalty kick should have been awarded, the main referee's decision to look away as if he hadn't seen it further intensified the confrontational situation.

Despite all these controversial incidents and unrest, Colombo Football Club emerged victorious in the match. They defeated the Red Star team with a massive margin of 6-2 goals. For Colombo's victory, Sierra Leone national Ibrahim Lebbe showcased outstanding performance by scoring 5 goals, while Egyptian national Mahmoud Ali Elshaly scored one goal. For the Red Star team, Mohamed Farhath and Asende Jerome managed to score goals. Regardless of how strong the chaotic nature on the field and the criticism of referee decisions were, ultimately, a massive victory for Colombo Football Club was recorded at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.