VIDEO: ‘That was real robbery’ – Nigerian fans in Kumasi lament poor officiating

Some fans of the Super Eagles have expressed concerns with officiating after the Black Stars held to the Super Eagles to a goalless draw at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

The game, the first leg of the doubleheader ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022 was played in an electrifying atmosphere with Ghanaian supporters singing and cheering their side the entirety of the game.

The game which lacked the typical flair that’s associated with any game involving both teams was mered with questionable officiating. Morocco’s Rédouane Jiyed, the center referee retained missed out on a number of fouls on Victor Osimhen and Rangers midfielder, Joe Aribo.

The most controversial moment came in the 75th minute when defensive midfielder, Baba Idrissu held the ball with his hand on the box after a foul by Kelechi Iheanacho.

That moment Nigerian fans opine decided the outcome of the match.

One fan from the Ghana Chapter of the Nigeria Football Supporters Association (NFSA) who spoke exclusively to Nigeria said: “It was a good game on both sides. They are no more underdog in football, they gave a fight and the composure from the Super Eagles was also great.”

“I think that the penalty that was disqualified wasn’t fair on the Super Eagles, I think that when they come to Abuja, God willing, we will whip them and become victorious.”

Another fan who spoke said: “The players played well. The officiating was also fine apart from the penalty. The last hour of officiating was my problem and the penalty time. That was Morocco’s Rédouane Jiyed is retained as center referee but that’s fine. We in Kumasi are very angry.

Another fan said: “The scoreline is what we wanted. I say so because the Ghanaians thought they were going to score the Super Eagles a lot of goals but we believe in God and our players.

A Ghanaian fan who interjected during the conversation said it wasn’t a penalty while noting that VAR concluded the game.

The second leg will be played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday, March 29, 2021.