In a vital 2025 AFCON qualifier, Nigeria took against Rwanda today. Despite producing several wonderful chances, the first half ended goalless. But the true story of the first half was a bad call by the referee that denied Nigeria a simple goal.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Ademola Lookman had the ball in the net midway through the first half, and for a moment, it seemed Nigeria had taken the lead. Lookman finished off a well-executed move, much to the delight of Nigerian fans. However, the referee quickly blew his whistle and disallowed the goal, citing a foul in the buildup.
The decision stunned the Nigerian team and their supporters. Replays showed that the Rwandan defender went down rather easily under minimal contact, yet the referee decided there was enough in it to rule out the goal. What made the decision even more frustrating was that VAR wasn’t called upon to review the incident.
In a game of this magnitude, where every goal and point matters, decisions like this can make a huge difference. VAR exists to check these kinds of controversial moments, and many feel the referee should have allowed VAR to review the incident before making such a big call. The fact that the goal was chopped off without a second look has left many fans feeling like Nigeria were robbed of a deserved lead.
Lookman’s goal would have given Nigeria a 1-0 advantage going into halftime, putting them in control of the game. Instead, they went into the break with the score still 0-0, and frustration building. The team now faces the pressure of having to push for a result in the second half, knowing that they were denied a legitimate goal due to questionable officiating.
While Nigeria still has the second half to turn things around, the disallowed goal remains a point of contention. Poor refereeing decisions like this can change the outcome of matches, and Nigeria will be hoping that this mistake doesn’t come back to haunt them in the end.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
