Five players and coaching staff from South Korea's Suwon Bluewings and Qatar's Al-Sadd have been banned for their part in an ugly brawl during a stormy Asian Champions League semifinal in midweek. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Saturday suspended Suwon's Ristikj Stevica and assistant coach Ko Jong-su for the second leg in Doha on Oct. 26. Al-Sadd players Keita Abdul Kader and Mamadou Hamidou Niang, plus goalkeeping coach Suhail Saber Ali, will also be ineligible following Wednesday's ill-tempered game, won 2-0 by the Qatari side. A controversial second goal from Al-Sadd late in the game sparked the fighting with play halted for 10 minutes and three players eventually sent off. The AFC said it had also opened further disciplinary proceedings against the suspended players and officials, which will be referred to the AFC disciplinary board. In some of the worst scenes in the AFC's premier club competition players could be seen kicking at each other, while several fights broke out across the field.
