The tension in Qatar was palpable yesterday evening as England's hopes were left hanging by a thread - or rather, a disputed penalty decision. A contentious incident late on had Ghana's manager Carlo Queiroz fuming, claiming that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) hadn't been functioning effectively and that his side was denied a clear penalty.
Prince Kwabena Adu had been bearing down on goal when England defender Ezri Konsa made the crucial intervention - or so it seemed. While initial contact appeared to be with the ball, replays suggested otherwise: Konsa's leg looked suspiciously out of sync with the movement of the midfield dynamo.
Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney was unequivocal in his assessment on BBC One. 'It was a penalty,' he declared firmly, highlighting Konsa's reckless gamble and the fact that, crucially, the defender 'got the man, not the ball'. Fellow ex-England international Micah Richards echoed this sentiment, suggesting that, on another day, this could have been the turning point in the match.
The incident has reignited debate over VAR's role at tournaments. FIFA's head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, has pushed for a stricter threshold for on-field challenges, aiming to iron out inconsistencies and reduce the need for VAR intervention - which may explain why this decision wasn't reviewed.
But Darren Cann, an assistant referee in the 2010 World Cup final, took issue with the non-call. While he was thrilled as an England fan, he believed the incident 'should have been referred' to VAR. 'Konsa made absolutely no contact at all with the ball,' Cann asserted on BBC One, adding that his opponent was brought down while airborne and out of control.