Flare-throwing fans forced Malaysia’s 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifier with Saudi Arabia to be abandoned on Tuesday as they vented their anger over last week’s record 10-0 defeat to the UAE.
“Ultras Malaya” fans hurled flares billowing orange smoke late in the game as the hosts trailed 2-1, forcing players, officials and other fans to take cover.
Officials cleared Shah Alam Stadium and, after a lengthy suspension, the match was called off. Police said 11 people were arrested on charges of rioting.
“The game is suspended. The game isn’t going to continue,” interim coach Ong Kim Swee said.
Last week's result in Abu Dhabi has tipped Malaysia into crisis, with former coach Dollah Salleh resigning and the national governing body's football president also promising to quit.
The ugly scenes heaped yet more woe on football in Malaysia, which hosts the Asian Football Confederation headquarters but has long been plagued by fan violence and match-fixing.
Loud fireworks and about a dozen flares trailing orange smoke were let off by home fans in the 88th minute. Unconfirmed reports said two Saudi Arabian supporters were attacked.
Ong had earlier urged fans not to disrupt the game in protest at last week's defeat, the latest in a series of embarrassing results.
Elsewhere, Syria won their third consecutive qualifier as they beat Cambodia 6-0 in Phnom Penh. Omar Khribin scored two of his side’s four first-half goals as Syria ran their scoring record to 13 goals with none conceded.
They top Group E with nine points, two more than Japan, for whom Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki scored twice in a 6-0 win over Afghanistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran.
Qatar moved top of Group C with a 3-2 win at previous leaders Hong Kong. Yu Dabao scored twice as China moved into second place with a 3-0 win at the Maldives. In Group B, Australia won 3-0 at Tajikistan thanks to two goals from Tim Cahill, while Jordan won 4-0 at Bangladesh.
Oman drew 0-0 at Guam as both teams moved to seven points. They share the Group D lead with Iran, who won 3-0 at India. South Korea and Kuwait top Group G as they maintained 100 per cent records, while Uzbekistan won 5-1 at the Philippines in Group H.
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