Pahang manager apologises for Sumareh gaffe

BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter

Pahang manager Dato Che Nasir Salleh has apologised for a comment he had made, and accepted the punishment handed by the club to him.

Following their victory over Negeri Sembilan in the FA Cup semi-finals on May 13, Nasir told Astro Awani that Tok Gajah's Gambian-born player Mohamadou Sumareh will be naturalised as a Malaysian citizen, making him eligible to play for Malaysia, and as a local player for Pahang.

But a few days after the report was published, the club issued a statement denying that it intended to naturalise Sumareh, adding that action will be taken on the manager for making the comment.

On Thursday Pahang issued another statement, announcing that Nasir has been handed a two-match suspension and a RM2,000 fine (USD468.38).

On Friday, Nasir issued an apology through the club's social media, accecpting the punishment and explaining that the comment had been made in the heat of the moment.

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"I accept the punishment as a lesson for myself, and would like to apologise to the board and the fans for my earlier comment regarding Mohamadou Sumareh's naturalisation status.

"In my euphoria following the win, I made a comment that I should not have made," wrote Nasir.