“We will be making a formal complaint”
South Africa are set to make a formal complaint after ‘questionable decisions’ from match officials in their 1-0 loss to Ghana.
As reported by the BBC, South Africa needed a draw or a win to ensure they would qualify for the World Cup play-offs, but were beaten 1-0 after Ghana were awarded a controversial penalty.
Daniel Amartey was adjudged to have been fouled by defender Rushine de Reuck and received a yellow card with footage showing that there was minimal contact.
Ghana make it to the World Cup play-offs thanks to this penalty decision and a 1-0 win over South Africa.
Wow. Just wow. 🤯#BlackStars #GHARSA #WCQ2022pic.twitter.com/Oxlda3kwhu
— Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) November 14, 2021
Chief executive of the South Africa Football Association (Safa) Tebogo Mothlante has said that they are not happy with the decision and that an official complaint has been made.
“The match officials have decided the game, which is not what is supposed to happen,” he said.
“We will be writing to both CAF [the Confederation of African Football] and [world governing body] FIFA – firstly to investigate how the game was handled and secondly to challenge some of these decisions.
“We have already registered with the match commissioner that we will be making a formal complaint.”
Mothlante went on to add: “We are very disheartened by their actions and we can’t let it destroy the players – when we have the chance to challenge, we will challenge.
“We feel very much robbed because it is not an isolated incident of a penalty. There are just a lot of questionable decisions by match officials and we will get an expert to dissect other incidents, so we can make a strong case.”
The decision to replay the game isn’t out of the question with South Africa themselves knowing from first-hand experience after they were ordered to replay a game against Senegal during a 2018 World Cup qualifier.
Mothlante said: “Of course we are looking at the precedent whereby Fifa ordered us to replay Senegal and we think that if justice needs to be served the same decision should be taken against this Ghana game.”
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