I-League 2017/18: Chennai City FC vs Mohun Bagan, 5 Talking Points

Chaos ensues

It was all chaos out there. (Photo: I-League)

So you just read about Bagan being awarded a penalty right?

It was for a foul by Tarif Akhand on Dipanda Dicka. His sliding tackle saw him extend his left foot out and though the ball had passed, it brought Dicka down in the box. The referee pointed to the spot and appeared to book Tarif. However, if that was indeed the referee's decision, he failed to send him off because Tarif was already on a yellow.

Edwin Vanspaul was in the referee's face after he awarded the penalty and was visibly not happy. He was around when the referee dished the yellow. Was the yellow given to him for dissent? But the referee clearly had the card pointed in Tarif's direction.

After Kabir made the save from the ensuing penalty, Edwin celebrated by throwing the ball into the ground in front of the referee and shouting in his face some more (as if the earlier effort wasn't good enough). The referee showed him a yellow and then a red and sent him off.

This sent the Chennai City players into a meltdown because they clearly thought it was Tarif who was booked earlier for the penalty related foul. Soon all hell broke loose - the fourth official got involved, the linesmen got involved, Chennai City staff got involved and so did the Bagan staff. It was total acrimony.

In the midst of all this, the referee was running from person to person and checking his notes to try and make sense of things.

Eventually, the referee stood by his decision. Edwin was sent off for one yellow. Tarif with two stayed on the pitch. The official I-League match page says the first yellow was to Edwin. If that's the case, the referee was correct. Only the referee can tell us who he really booked.

He completely lost control of the game and there was pandemonium.