KATHMANDU: Nepal are likely to face a severe penalty and even be deprived of hosting any international tournaments in future following an ugly crowd trouble here during the AFC U-19 Championship Group A qualifying match between the hosts and Jordan on Sunday.

A concrete object hurled by some angry Nepali fans injured the Iranian assistant referee Shakour Heidar in the 83rd minute. Heider was rushed to the hospital for treatment and needed two stitches in his head. Heidar was replaced by fourth referee Saleem Ali. Another Jordanian player on the bench Zaid Zaber was also reportedly struck by an object in the face during the tensed dying moments of the game.

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the local organisers, said that they have enough evidence to prove that a Jordanian player had instigated the incident. “Mustafa Saleh, in frustration of being sent off, kicked the bottle which unluckily hit one of the spectators. Anger by the gesture, one of the fan threw a concrete object that injured the referee,” said ANFA spokesperson Lalit Krishna Shrestha. Shrestha said that they will present their case to all the concerned authorities tomorrow (Monday).