Quantity with Quality

Never Use Your Fists in Football

How one player’s actions haunt him to this day

This is my next story in a series of articles responding to Dr Mehmet Yildiz’s challenge to produce a short quality article with three take home points each day for thirty days.

I have chosen to use Wikipedia’s main page as inspiration, choosing one item from the “Did You Know” section as topical encouragement.

It might be that Jamal Farhan is best known for having knocked football referee Alexis Ponnet unconscious during extra time in a World Military Cup match while his Saudi Arabian team faced off against Kuwait. However, he would like very much to change that dialogue to a more positive message.

Farhan’s football career began with Saudi Arabia’s professional league before he was selected to represent his country in the 1982 Arabian Gulf Cup and the 1982 Asian Games.

Farhan was once again playing for his country in the World Military Cup game against Kuwait on February 28, 1983. Kuwait had the edge 2–1 as the match moved into stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.

Farhan was issued a red card by the referee for “rough play”. He did not leave the sidelines as is customary, but rather remained on the substitute bench. Several minutes later Farhan’s teammate was also issued a red card and ejected for the same offense. That is when Farhan walked onto the pitch, punched Ponnet in the head, and walked back off again.

Ponnet lost consciousness and was bleeding from his ear after the assault. He was taken to the hospital where he remained overnight and, thankfully, recovered.

FIFA banned Farhan for life, and the Saudi Federation instituted a two-year ban on play.

What We Can Learn from a Fist-Flinging Football Player

Farhan’s career never recovered. He played in several matches after the ban was lifted but eventually moved away from the professional football world.

Farhan has repeatedly expressed regret for his actions and uses his notoriety to advocate for controlling one’s temper in such situations. He encourages kids and fans to, “never do what I did.”

Take home points:

• Avoid getting caught up in the moment. We are all human. We are subject to powerful emotions. However, we can choose how quickly we act on our emotions. We can practice emotional intelligence by recognizing when we are being influenced by our emotions and practicing self-regulation when that occurs.
• Take responsibility for your actions. Farhan owned his actions and apologized. Taking responsibility is a critical first step for beginning to repair damage done from thoughtless acts.
• Turn adverse events into a learning opportunity for others. One of the most selfless things we can do is share our failures and shortcomings so that others can benefit. Farhan uses his experience to warn others of the consequences of acting before you think.

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Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.