Angry Nigerians turn attention to referee Cakir as they rain curses on him
NEWS DIGEST -Highly respected Turkish referee, Cuneyt Cakir who took charge of proceedings at Saint Petersburg for Nigeria’s clash against Argentina, was at the centre of controversy after making a big call to deny Nigeria a penalty in the 76th minute of the absorbing contest.
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The Super Eagles had earlier benefitted from his benevolence when the whistleblower awarded a soft penalty after Javier Mascherano wrestled down Leon Balogun in the box. Victor Moses dispatched the resulting spot-kick, sending Argentine shot-stopper, Armani the wrong way to restore parity in the contest.
In the 76th minute however, Ahmed Musa whipped in a beautiful cross, which Marcos Rojo headed away from danger with the ball rolling off his arm. After desperate calls for a penalty by Nigerian players, Cakir consulted the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) before deciding against awarding Nigeria another spot-kick, to the disappontment of the players and the ire of many supporters.
Unsurprisingly, angry Nigerian fans at home dug out the Turkish official’s instagram page to vent their anger by raining curses on him in his comment box. He was singled out as the cause of Nigeria’s early exit from the tournament, and with the harsh insults directed at Cakir, he would not consider holidaying in Nigeria anytime soon. See comments below.
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