Controversial referee in the thick of things again

M&C – DOHA, For the second time in less than two months referee Benjamin Williams has played an important part in a football match involving China.

On Saturday the Australian officiated in a Group A game between China and Kuwait, which the Chinese side won 2-0 after Williams red- carded a Kuwaiti defender in the first half.

Williams, who is a PE teacher at a high school in Canberra, controversially waved play on in the 12th minute when Chinese defender Du Wei brought down Bader Al Mutwa in the area.

Although television footage clearly showed that a foul had been committed Williams did not award a penalty.

In the 33rd minute he took another match-influencing decision when he red-carded Mesad Nada.

The defender had been fouled by Yang Xu but then lashed out at the forward as both players lay entangled on the pitch, leaving Kuwait a man short for just under an hour and China made the most of their numerical advantage, winning 2-0 through goals by Deng Zhuoxiang and Zhang Linpeng.

At the Asian Games in New Delhi last year, Williams was already involved in a controversial game with China when he sent off three Malaysian players and booked seven of them in their 3-0 defeat against China.

Two of the red cards were issued in the 25th minute, forcing Malaysia to play some 65 minutes with two players less.

Not surprisingly Malaysian coach Rajagobal Krishnasamy was furious after the game.
‘I have never seen such a referee in the world before. I think something is wrong with him and he needs to have a medical check,’ he said at the time.