HAL ROBSON-KANU has vowed to wear a poppy to a Fifa awards ceremony despite the governing body’s dispute with his country.
Wales face punishment for allowing fans to wear poppies at a game against Serbia 24 hours after Armistice Day.
The poppy falls foul of Fifa guidelines which ban “political symbols”. But the move to punish Wales brought outrage from fans wanting to remember the war dead.
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West Brom and Wales star Robson-Kanu is up for the goal of the year award for his strike against Belgium at Euro 2016 and is invited to the ceremony in Zurich in January.
And the 27-year-old tweeted: “For those asking… YES I WILL WEAR A POPPY TO THE AWARDS. Thank you to everyone who’s voting.”
Robson-Kanu scored Wales’ second in a 3-1 Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over the Belgians when he bamboozled the defenders with a Cruyff turn before slotting past Thibaut Courtois.
Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Neymar, and Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez are also on the Puskas Award shortlist.
Fifa said the Football Association of Wales (FAW) broke rules by allowing fans to wear poppies in the stadium during their November 12 World Cup qualifier against Serbia that ended 1-1.
The governing body said they would also investigate Wales for allowing a member of the armed forces to hold a wreath of poppies at the players’ tunnel and a banner depicting the poppy being held from the stands.
They will also investigate a mosaic, created by thousands of fans holding up individual cards, depicting the poppy during the Welsh national anthem.
The FAW said they had simply “paid their respects to those individuals who had made the ultimate sacrifice in a dignified and humble way”.
They also said they had respected the rules and regulations set out by Fifa before the game at Cardiff City Stadium. Players did not wear poppies at the game for fear of being fined or docked points.
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Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the FAW, said: “Our intention was to show respect on Armistice weekend which we feel we did in the right and proper way.
“We also adhered to the rules and regulations of the competition and the communication from Fifa prohibiting the FAW request for the players to wear the poppy symbol on the armbands or the field of play.
“We are particularly disappointed that one of the charges relates to supporters in the stands wearing poppies. Naturally as an association we will strongly contest the charges.”
Fifa’s disciplinary committee will meet on December 9 to hear the FAW’s case. The FAW has until November 29 to provide a statement and relevant evidence.
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