Ghana fans asked for a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) call on Portugal forward João Félix’s second-half goal on Thursday. They also objected to a penalty Cristiano Ronaldo was given, saying there was no foul.
Portugal defeated Ghana 3-2 in their FIFA World Cup 2022 opener.
“It was actually a foul against us! I have no proof if the referee would have decided differently for someone else. There was a contact of players. I don’t know what they were doing, was VAR not paying attention?” Ghana coach said after the game.
Ronaldo’s former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney while commentating on the game, also seemed disapproving of the decision to award the penalty, adding sarcstically, “I think Ronaldo has used all of his experience as a forward to get that penalty”.
“Ghana deserved more from that. Still can’t believe that penalty was given to Ronaldo. Just absurd,” Clint Smith, writer at The Atlantic, tweeted.
“Embarrassing dive from Ronaldo. Never a penalty,” another one added.
However, Ronaldo also found support from some who said that the Portuguese was pushed from behind and hence deserved the penalty.
Piers Morgan, the British journalist who took a controversial interview with Ronaldo that arguably ended the latter’s ties with Manchester United, also tweeted on the goal.
With the 66th minute goal, Portugal was able to break the 0-0 deadlock and set the trend for the upcoming slugfest. However, Ghana soon retaliated with a goal in the 74th minute by Andre Ayew to even scores.
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Portugal followed suit with another goal in the 79th minute and followed another controversy. Joao Felix’s goal was argued as an offside by Ghana supporters who complained of differential treatment to the star Ronaldo and his team. However, an earlier goal by Ronaldo himself was declared off side in the first half.
