FAS sanctions Hougang United after club fields foreign footballer without work pass

SINGAPORE: Singapore Premier League club Hougang United has been fined by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) after fielding a foreign player in matcheswhen he did not have a work pass approved.

After conducting a review, the FAS found that its own staff and management "should have detected" the mistake. 

Appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against the staff involved, the FAS added in a press release on Tuesday (Mar 3).

FAS' competitions department found that Hougang United Football Club player Gloire Amanda played in SPL and SPL2 matches before the completion of all mandatory regulatory clearances relating to his work pass status in Singapore.

SPL2 is the competition's second-tier feeder league. Amanda is reportedly a Tanzanian-born Canadian citizen.

Although the club had submitted a work pass application, it had "neither received formal approval nor been physically issued at the time the player participated in those matches", FAS said.

As a result, Amanda was deemed ineligible to participate.

The player had participated in three matches - two in the SPL and one in SPL2.

One of those matches was a loss for Hougang, with two wins in an SPL match against the Young Lions and an SPL2 match against BG Tampines Rovers.

FAS said, according to its regulations, the results of matches in which Amanda was involved will be overturned, with three points awarded to the other team.

Match scores would remain the same or be adjusted to 3-0, whichever reflects a bigger margin.

The 1-0 winagainst BG Tampines Rovers in SPL2 is now a 3-0 loss for Hougang, and the 2-0 win against the Young Lions in the SPL is now a 3-0 win for that team.

The 5-1 loss to Lion City Sailors in the SPL remains unchanged. 

FAS also said it will implement