A soccer player faces a lengthy ban after punching a referee in the face over a disputed penalty kick decision.
Pieter Rumaropen took exception to the awarding of the penalty against his team, Persiwa Wamena, who were level at 1-1 with Pelita Bandung Raya.
The decision, with just eight minutes left on the game clock, likely meant defeat for Rumaropen’s side. He ran 15 yards before hitting the referee with a swinging left-handed punch from the official’s blind side.
The game was delayed for 15 minutes as the referee was taken to hospital with excess bleeding from the nose. A replacement ref had to be found and Rumaropen, who was dismissed from the pitch, now faces a lengthy ban.
Rumaropen, left, floors the ref with a left hook.
