The game between Nigeria and Ghana today started slowly, with both teams being content with keeping the ball in midfield. There were no chances created from both teams inside the first 30 minutes and it didn’t look like we could see a single goal in the game. The first half ended goalless and in the second half, both coaches made changes and the game opened up a bit. Nigeria was the better side and was creating goalscoring chances even though they were not clear cut. In the 76 minutes of the game, a Ghanian defender made contact with the ball inside the 18-yard box and the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty for Nigeria. Before the penalty was taken, a VAR review was carried out and the penalty was overruled by the referee.
In a game this tense and with no controversial moments prior, this was the most crucial moment in the game. The game ended 0-0 but the Nigerian players and fans were furious with the referee for that decision. This has been the problem we’ve had with officials in African football. The referees seem to be making very poor decisions game after game and it’s time CAF started looking into this. For the standards of African football to be on par with that of other continents, issues like poor officiating and decisions from the referees must be looked at and addressed. Right now these poor decisions have cost the Super Eagles the win and if they lose to Ghana in Nigeria next week, fans will look back at this moment and say this was when the tie was lost.
We implore CAF to put more effort into ensuring that game officiation in Africa is without a doubt one of the best in the world. The referees who officiated this game can be called and queried on this decision so we can hear his explanation on why he decided to cancel the penalty. It will be a thing of joy to see a few African referees at the 2022 World Cup but with the way things are going, FIFA might not pick any referee from Africa due to their poor decisions on the pitch.
Photo Credit: Google.
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