The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) issued an official clarification regarding the recent disciplinary action against national footballer Mohamed Thilham, who was fined $ 2,000 by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for displaying a pro-Palestine message following a match in June.

In a statement issued Thursday (7), FFSL emphasised that the fine was imposed by the AFC’s Independent Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, not by the sport’s world governing body-FIFA as some social media posts had inadvertently claimed.

The incident occurred on 10 June at the Racecourse Stadium in Colombo, after Sri Lanka’s 3–1 win over Chinese Taipei in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying tournament.

Thilham, who was an unused replacement, revealed an undershirt with the message “PRAY FOR FREE PALESTINE” during post-match celebrations inside the controlled access area.

According to the game’s local controlling body-FFSL, this act violated Section 3.2.2 of the AFC’s Equipment Regulations, which bars political, religious, personal or controversial messages on any clothing within officially governed zones.

The federation stressed that the sanction was not related to the content of the message, but rather the breach of specific tournament regulations.

The FFSL has reiterated that the AFC considered mitigating factors after receiving a formal explanation from Thilham, resulting in a significantly reduced fine. The player has been given one month to settle the penalty.

Dismissing claims that the action was politically driven, the FFSL noted its commitment to maintaining discipline, neutrality, and the integrity of the sport. It also warned against ‘misrepresentations’ that could distort public understanding of the incident.