Blues striker Ali Al-Hamadi has issued an apology for his red card while playing for Iraq in last night’s 2-0 defeat to South Korea in Basra, a dismissal the 23-year-old admits was “extremely painful”.

Al-Hamadi was given his marching orders in the 25th minute following a VAR review after catching Cho Yu-min with an inadvertent high boot having initially been shown a yellow card.

“What happened was extremely painful,” Al-Hamadi wrote on social media. “Words are not enough to describe how I have been feeling since yesterday until now. I apologise to everyone without exception, especially the loyal Iraqi audience.

“At the same time, I can tell you with confidence. We will make up for it in the two play-off matches and together we will celebrate qualifying for the World Cup next October.”

Iraq, for whom Al-Hamadi was making his 15th appearance and first since October last year, can no longer qualify automatically from the group, the South Koreans and Jordan, who will be at the finals for the first time, having finished first and second respectively.

They are confirmed in the fourth round of qualifying, however, when they will play in one of two groups of three for a place in the finals.

Photo: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Suffolkboy added 16:51 - Jun 6 Looks like rather bad luck from an unintentional offence ,as opposed to a calculated movement intended to cause harm or injury ! Officialdom seems to be determined to ‘have irs way’ and how on earth can they deem it an error missed by the official ( Whilst simply disagreeing with his decision on punishment ??) VAR is losing its true relevance and operational effectiveness .

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SamWhiteUK added 17:58 - Jun 6 No way his foot should be up there. Sorry Ali. Challenge with your head
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RaymondovicBlue added 18:06 - Jun 6 I think this one is harsh. AGREE that he should deffo have gone with his head and his foot should not have been anywhere hear that high. BUT the other buy's head comes down onto his foot, rather than him putting force on his challenge - he seemed to be going for the ball, and did not follow through etc. On another day a yellow would be the right result - as I think it would have been this time. It was NOT a clear and obvious error from the ref either so VAR should have shut the whatsit up

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Linkboy13 added 10:34 - Jun 7 A player with ability but the squad needs to be strengthened if we have any aspirations of being a Premier league club so i would send him out on loan or release him.
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PimsNumber1 added 12:20 - Jun 7 This guy needs to go ....he's one of the worst strikers we have ever had.Runs in treacle at age 21 ...He will always be ineffective
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