2022 World Cup: Coach Otto Addo Slams Referee for Gifting Ronaldo Non Existent Penalty Against Ghana

Ghana manager Otto Addo did not mince his words as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the level of officiating in their Group H opener against Portugal.

Unquestionably the most entertaining second half of the 2022 World Cup thus far, Otto Addo’s Black Stars suffered a painful loss in a tantalizingly close encounter.

Ronaldo won and scored the penalty in the 65th to give Portugal the lead as he became the first man to score in five different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

However, Addo at the post-match conference at Stadium 974 after handling his first game at the World Cup said the American referee Ismail Elfath erred in awarding Portugal a penalty.

“I think it was a really wrong decision, we were playing the ball… I don’t know why VAR did not come up, there was no explanation for it,” said Addo.

“It was a wrong decision. It was actually a foul against us,” Addo stated.

He added: “If somebody scores a goal, congratulations. But this was a gift, really a gift.”

Addo disclosed that he tried to talk to the Major League Soccer referee about some of the decisions that went against Ghana after the game.

“I wanted to do it in a calm way but I was told he was in a meeting. He was not in our favour. We got a few yellow cards which were deserved but there was also holding of jerseys and stopping counterattacks that were also yellow cards but not given to them.”