Marsaxlokk's Ochei gets three-match ban

Marsaxlokk forward Michael Ochei has received a three-match suspension following his red card in his side's 3-1 Premier League defeat to Hibernians on Sunday.

Ochei has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons after hitting Hibs' defender Ryan Mintoff in the face midway through the second half of Sunday's match at the Hibernians Ground.

The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner has ordered that Ochei be suspended for three matches after evaluating the report by match referee Marco Borg.

Sources have told The Times that Borg's report noted Ochei's retaliation on Mintoff as well as the undesirable gestures he made towards the Hibs fans as he walked away from the pitch.

It remains to be seen whether video evidence will be used by the MFA to mete out further punishment on Ochei for his infamous antics that were caught by television cameras.

Use of video evidence relating to serious incidents that escape the attention of the match officials is at the sole discretion of the MFA Executive Committee. There have been few cases in the past when the Executive Committee instructed the Disciplinary Commissioner to take action against players who committed an offence that was captured by television cameras.

The 18-year-old Ochei on Monday apologised for his behaviour during the game against Hibs but claimed his reaction had been instigated by racist remarks.

His three-match suspension means that Ochei will miss Marsaxlokk's Championship Pool assignments against Birkirkara, Floriana and Valletta.

Four other Premier League players were each given a one-match ban yesterday.

Floriana's Kurt Formosa was disciplined following his red card in the 1-0 defeat to Valletta on Saturday.

Hibs' defender Aaron Xuereb is ineligible to face Floriana on Sunday after earning his fourth yellow card. Pietà defender David Camenzuli and Mark Pullicino, of St Patrick, have also been banned one match.