AFCON: Obi Mikel insists Sarr goal against Morocco should have counted

Nigeria legend John Obi Mikel has maintained the refereeing situation during the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) between Senegal and hosts Morocco was not up to standards.

According to Obi Mikel, the centre referee Jean Jacques Ndala should not have disallowed the opening goal for the Lions of Teranga scored by Ismaïla Sarr because defender Achraf Hakimi had gone down too easily inside the penalty area.

Despite the disallowed effort, Senegal were crowned champions of Africa for the second time in their history after edging hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time.

The decisive moment arrived just three minutes into extra time when Pape Gueye unleashed a stunning left-footed strike from the edge of the area, sending the Senegalese bench into raptures and silencing a packed stadium desperate for a long-awaited home triumph.

‘Hakimi went down too easily’

“I don’t agree with the disallowed goal of Sarr. For me, it was a valid goal because Hakimi went down too easily. And even if the referee considered the goal invalid, why did he blow his whistle so early?” questioned Obi Mikel told Channel 4 Sport as quoted by Wiwsport.com.

“He should have waited a bit to analyze the situation and perhaps consult VAR. He didn’t. On the other hand, when he awarded the penalty to Morocco, he went to VAR very quickly.”

He added: “The way the referee handled the situation was terrible. Disallowing a goal for Senegal and then awarding a penalty to Morocco two minutes later was terrible.”