Sports site Bola criticized Thai goalkeeper Soponwit Rakyart after he punched Indonesian midfielder Komang Teguh in the head at the 32nd SEA Games final.
After striker Irfan Jauhari raised the score to 3-2 for Indonesia early in the first period of extra time, players and coaches from both teams got into a brawl. Goalkeeper Soponwit ran to the hot spot from afar and jumped up to punch Komang while the center back was not paying attention. Just as Soponwit attacked, Komang noticed and jumped out of the way, causing both of them to fall to the ground. Afterwards, the two players stood up and punched each other in the face right in front of the referee.
Goalkeeper Soponwit (in yellow) punches defender Komang during the final match of SEA Games 32 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the evening of May 16, 2023. Photo: Lam Thoa
"Is Soponwit a football goalkeeper or a wushu fighter?", Bola asked. "He jumped up to hit Komang but fell to the ground. His actions looked like Bruce Lee's."
Soponwit attacked Komang in retaliation for an Indonesian defender sneaking up on a Thai substitute player wearing an orange bib and hitting him in the head just seconds earlier. Before the substitute could react, Soponwit lunged at Komang.
Komang's sneak attack on a Thai player in the final match of SEA Games 32, in Cambodia. Photo: Hieu Luong
This was just one of many incidents of fighting between the two teams during the match. Soponwit and Komang were both sent off immediately. Including the punishments for the coaching staff of both teams, the Omani referee had to hand out 9 red cards and 17 yellow cards. Thailand finished the match with only seven players on the field, including an injured player who could not continue.
Soponwit's Instagram account was attacked by Indonesians after the match, forcing him to close his account. Center-back Jonathan Khemdee also made Indonesians "itchy" by throwing his silver medal into the stands. Although he did not participate in the brawl, center-back Songchai Thongcham was also ridiculed on social media, for provoking Indonesian fans not to come to the stadium before the match.
The conflict between the two teams started at the end of the first half when Indonesia increased the score to 2-0 from a situation where Thai players thought their opponents returned the ball. After tying the score at 2-2 at the end of the second half, Thai players and coaches ran towards Indonesia to provoke and fight. When leading 3-2 in extra time, Indonesia ran towards Indonesia again to provoke, leading to a second fight. "Thailand provoked Indonesia first, so when we responded, why were they angry?" Bola added.
The melee between the two teams.
Indonesia won 5-2 in this match and won the first SEA Games men's football gold medal since 1991. Meanwhile, Thailand missed out on the gold medal in the last three editions, but they will host the next edition in December 2025.
Hoang An
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