Mick Hartley

After suffering two successive defeats, against Iran and Bahrain, KCNA (the Korean Central News Agency) are crying foul:

The DPRK Football Association called a press conference at Yanggakdo Hotel today as regards the partial refereeing by referees in the matches between the DPRK and Bahrain and the DPRK and Iran of Group B for the 18th World Cup Asian regional qualifier. Present there were media persons in Pyongyang, foreign journalists who are staying here to cover the recent matches and foreign correspondents here.

The press conference was addressed by acting Secretary General of the association Ri Hi Yon. He referred in detail to the fact that Thai and Syrian referees very partially refereed the matches in violation of the FIFA regulations during the matches between the DPRK and Bahraini teams and between the DPRK and Iranian teams in Pyongyang on March 25 and 30.

He expressed the expectation that FIFA would pay due attention to the recent serious partial refereeing and promptly take relevant measures in accordance with its regulations.

Video tapes were played back at the conference to prove foul plays made by footballers during the matches. […]

The Football Association of the DPRK, as a member of the FIFA, reaffirms that the DPRK players will strictly abide by the rules in every international match and expresses belief that the FIFA will take strict sanctions against the international chief referees who were in charge of matches between the DPRK and Bahraini teams and between the DPRK and Iranian teams and take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of partial refereeing. A spokesman for the association declared this stand in a statement issued today as regards the biased refereeing by those referees in the above-said matches for the 18th World Cup Asian regional qualifier.

The statement said that some referees are jeered by soccer fans and spectators for their unjust and biased refereeing and, furthermore, such deeds are seriously impairing the image of the prestigious international referees and the FIFA.

Such practices found their vivid expression in the matches between the DPRK and Bahraini teams and between the DPRK and Iranian teams held in Pyongyang on March 25 and 30, it pointed out, and went on:

Supervisors over the matches and the referees are also to blame for taking no measures in time for stopping the partial refereeing though they are obliged to induce the referees to fairly referee matches according to the rules of international soccer games.

The partial refereeing prompted even foreign media persons and TV broadcasters to complain in unison: “The referees should have impartially refereed the matches.” “It is clearly for an 11-metre penalty kick.”

If those referees are allowed to keep partially refereeing matches, they would not smoothly proceed as required by the game rules of the FIFA and rude acts contrary to sports morality would be fostered among players.

Come on ref, are you f***ing blind. It is clearly for an 11-metre penalty kick.