Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan thinks Daniel Amartey ‘went down too easily’ to win Ghana’s penalty against South Africa.
Andre Ayew converted the resultant spot-kick brilliantly to secure a 1-0 win that confirmed Ghana’s place in the final qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar earlier this month.
Leicester City defender Amartey was impeded in the box by defender Rushine De Reuck in the 32nd minute. Senegalese referee Ndiaye Maguette, who was close to the action, didn’t hesitate but to award a penalty to the hosts.
But Gyan seems to disagree with the contentious decision by the referee, as he shared his thought about the incident that has landed at FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee following a protest by South African FA.
“I think the incident was a bit casual,” Gyan told Asempa FM on Tuesday. “There weren’t many cameras on the day to give us different angles unlike what we see in other league matches elsewhere.
“From where I sat and how I saw it, the infringement was debatable. I think Daniel Amartey went down too easily.
“This is my thought based on where I sat and how I saw things. However, the referee was closer to the spot and probably had a better view of the situation.
“Remember also that the tempo of the game was also high and that could have influenced the referee’s decision to award the spot-kick to Ghana
“We [are] all Ghanaians and support the Black Stars to win games so I always follow them even though I’m not part of the squad.
“I’m always supporting them to qualify to the World Cup. If I compare the game against Ethiopia and South Africa, I would say the Black Stars were better against South Africa.”
South Africa’s FA says the match was manipulated in favour of Ghana by the officials, with the penalty decision forming part of their complaint.
South Africa needed a draw to progress while Ghana knew any kind of win would be enough to take them through to the play-offs.
South Africa are seeking a replay of the match, but Ghana FA insists Black Stars won fairly and have urged FIFA to dismiss the protest and instead hand South Africa a severe fine.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana