Belgium produced an astonishing comeback to defeat Senegal in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
However, the match was overshadowed by unprecedented drama surrounding Belgium's penalty, as two separate VAR-related incidents sparked intense debate among football fans and pundits.
Senegal appeared on course to secure a historic first-ever knockout-stage victory, leading 2-0 until the 86th minute.
But Belgium's remarkable fightback culminated in a controversial penalty in the 125th minute, deep into stoppage time of extra time, which ultimately decided the match. The penalty decision proved decisive.
Referee Said Martinez awarded Belgium a spot-kick after reviewing the incident on VAR when Senegal's Lamine Camara challenged Youri Tielemans inside the box. The decision shattered Senegal's hopes of reaching the next round and immediately became the biggest talking point across the football world.
During the live broadcast, Canadian commentator Craig Forrest said: “I think this has been incredibly harsh on Senegal. Not just in this match, but they also suffered from major decisions going against them in the Africa Cup of Nations final.”
Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic went even further, claiming the African side had been “robbed.”
Speaking to Fox Sports in the United States, he said: “I don't think Belgium's extra-time penalty was a penalty at all. Victory was taken away from Senegal. The contact was minimal, the Belgian player exaggerated it, and the referee was completely fooled.”
The legendary striker added: “This is the problem with modern football. Forwards now know that if they feel even the slightest contact inside the penalty area, they can go down and hope VAR awards them a penalty.”
“In my opinion, a penalty should be absolutely clear. It should never be a decision that requires 10 replays, three different camera angles and five minutes of debate to convince people. It's extremely painful to see such a massive knockout match decided by such a soft penalty.”
Ibrahimovic also expressed his frustration, saying: “If I were Senegal, I would strongly protest this. It's becoming a recurring pattern. First the AFCON final against Morocco, and now another crucial match in a major tournament has been decided against them by a last-minute penalty.”
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
