DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The Bahrain Football
Association asked FIFA to annul its World Cup playoff loss to
Trinidad and Tobago because of a disallowed goal.
Association vice president Sheik Ali Al Khalifa said Thursday
that Bahrain sent an official complaint to FIFA at the end of
Wednesday's 1-0 defeat after a late goal by Hussain Ali was
disallowed.
"We hope that FIFA will take action. It's up to them. I'm not
optimistic that we'll get a result," he said.
Trailing 1-0, Ali kicked the ball away from Trinidad goalkeeper
Kelvin Jack as he was trying to send it downfield. Ali then put the
ball in the net, but it was disallowed.
Bahrain players, furious that the goal didn't count, surrounded
the referee and began pushing and shoving their opponents. Trinidad
won the game 1-0 and the home-and-home, total-goals playoff 2-1 to
advance to the World Cup for the first time.