Nigeria captain, John Obi Mikel, has revealed what Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir told him and other Super Eagles players as they press for a second penalty when the ball struck the arm of Marcos Rojo in Super Eagles 2-1 loss to Argentina on Tuesday.
With the game tied at 1-1, Nigeria players surrounded the referee when it appeared that Marcos Rojo handled the ball in his own penalty area in the second half of the clash.
The match official used VAR, but decided against awarding the spot-kick, much to the dismay of Nigerians.
Mikel said Super Eagles players asked the referee if the ball hit Rojo’s arm and he (Cakir said “yes.”
Nigeria would have progressed to the next round of the 2018 World World Cup had the penalty been awarded and scored.
Victor Moses had earlier levelled for Nigeria from the penalty spot after Balogun was dragged down in the penalty area by Mascherano.
Lionel Messi and Marcos Rojo scored each half to send the West African giants, who needed a draw to remain at the competition, packing.
“I don’t understand how that wasn’t a penalty, for me it was a clear handball,” he said, according to FourFourTwo.
“It was a clear penalty. Maybe the referee has given the first penalty and doesn’t want to give a second one.
“But a penalty is a penalty. He (the referee) looked at the VAR, (we asked him) did the ball hit the hand? He said ‘yes’, but why it’s not a penalty? I don’t understand.”
Yorumlar