Bafana’s Broos blasts ‘ridiculous’ penalty call

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos claimed even Mohamed Salah was surprised to be awarded the first half penalty that ultimately decided Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash between Bafana Bafana and Egypt in Agadir.

Salah breaks Bafana hearts

Khuliso Mudau was penalised late in the first half after a VAR check ruled he had deliberately caught Salah in the face inside the box. This is despite the fact that Mudau had his back to Salah and was in control of the ball.

ALSO READ: VAR controversy as Egypt edge out Bafana

Salah converted the spot kick, and that proved to be the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for the Pharaohs.

“Even Salah said to me after the game that he was surprised it was a penalty,” said Broos on Friday at the post match press conference.

“It was ridiculous”.

Broos was also furious that Bafana were not awarded a penalty of their own at the end of the match A nine minute VAR check ultimately ruled that while the ball had struck Yasser Ahmed on his arm inside the box, it was his supporting arm so it was not a penalty.

“In the (pre-tournament) meeting they said if the arm is extended away from the body, it is a penalty,” said Broos.

“Then they said it was his supporting arm. Who invented this supporting arm? His arm was extended and it hit his arm.

“I want to talk about the meeting you get before a tournament,” Broos had said at the start of the press conference.

‘No one knows what to do’

“For 45 minutes they explain the rules, there are 25 to 50 rules. It is a penalty, then it is not a penalty. It is a red card for a players and then it is not. By the end there are so many rules no one knows what to do.”

Broos did admit Egypt were the better side in the first half in Agadir. But he felt his side were unlucky in the second half, against a Pharaohs side reduced to ten men following the sending off of Mohamed Namy.

“In the first half Egypt were the better team, they had better circulation of the ball,” said Broos.

“In the second half, ok they were one man less, but we dominated them for 45 minutes, in a moment you just need a bit of luck when the ball falls for you or a shot is good. We didn’t have that luck.

“We lost today, but it is still only one game. What happened on the pitch today will certainly motivated us to give 200 percent when we play Zimbabwe on Monday.”

Bafana are currently second in Group B, three points behind Egypt and two ahead of Angola and Zimbabwe, with one round of matches left to play.