Error costly to Korean hopes?

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 48

Error costly to Korean hopes?

An error by the Jordanian referee, Ahmad Bash, may prove costly to the Koreans in their bid for a place at Los Angeles. Yesterday, the referee’s committee chairman, Alvarez Fernando, released the findings of an investigation into a disallowed goal in Korea’s game against Bahrain.

In the fifty-eighth minute, Byun Byung Joo “scored” for Korea but Mr Bash ruled the Korean offside. Despite the intervention of the linesman, Tulu Gurkan, who insisted the goal had been scored, the referee ruled it out. Korea went on to win 1-0, but the extra goal may well become vital when the last matches in Group A are played tonight. Saudi Arabia leads with five points and a goal difference of plus five; South Korea is second, also with five points (plus three goal

count); while Kuwait too has five points but only a plus one margin. Should Saudi Arabia and South Korea draw tonight, then Saudi would head to Los Angeles and South Korea would play-off for the third place on Sunday.

If South Korea wins then the positions would be reversed. However, should Saudi Arabia win by two goals or more then Kuwait would take second place in the group and get a chance in the play-off. Positions at the end of the eighth day's

w D L F A Pt S. Arabia 2 1 0 8 3 5 South Korea 2 1 0 3 0 5 Kuwait 2 1 1 5 4 5 Bahrain 0 1 2 1 4 1 N. Zealand 0 0 3 1 7 0 GROUP B w D L F A Pt Qatar 2 0 0 3 0 4 Iraq 2 0 0 4 2 4 Thailand 1 0 2 6 5 2 Malaysia 1 0 1 2 3 2 Japan 0 0 3 4 9 0