PHILADELPHIA, PA — Antoine Semenyo has urged his Ghana teammates to put more pressure on officials after the Black Stars didn’t get a VAR check for at least one incident that went against them in their draw with England on Tuesday.
Ghana neutralised the Three Lions to move to four points — and the brink of the knockout stages — after a 0-0 draw in Foxborough, but the Black Stars believe they should have taken more from the game, and would have done had the referee consulted VAR.
Speaking ahead of their final Group L game against Croatia in Philadelphia on Saturday, Manchester City‘s Semenyo has urged his teammates to turn to be more insistent in order to get what they deserve from officials.
“We talked about it in training,” he told journalists on Friday, “that as players we need to gang around the referee and complain, we should say something.
“As a team we need to be more aggressive with officials, stay down longer, with our coaches pestering the fourth official. That’s what we need to do.”
Ghana were aggrieved that referee Said Martinez did not consult the Video Assistant Referee after a late flashpoint, when Ezri Konsa appeared to bring down Prince Kwabena Adu with a rash tackle in the box, while an early suspected foul by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford did not result in further action.
“I was right next to [Konsa’s tackle on Kwabena Adu],” Semenyo continued, “and I was first to put my hands up.
“It’s annoying they still haven’t checked it until now.”
The refereeing calls against England prompted head coach Carlos Queiroz to quip after the match that ‘VAR went for a coffee’, with the 73-year-old having earlier criticised the officiating after a similar incident against Panama didn’t go the Black Stars’ way.
“We should already be qualified with six points at the moment,” Queiroz added on Friday. “We have a good scoring rate from penalties, and we should have qualified already.
“This issue should be in the hands of FIFA. VAR was born in 2016 and first used at the 2018 World Cup. It’s been 10 years and there’s no excuse for VAR not to be better than this.
“It’s time for FIFA authorities to review what’s happening behind the scenes. VAR was meant to help referees to referee and to make good decisions. We hope it will be better in the next few years.
“Our players didn’t protest this incident in the game because they get yellow cards, but then they come to me and I don’t know where to stand.”
Despite ruing taking only a draw from the England game, Ghana’s opening victory over Panama coupled with the point against Thomas Tuchel’s side has taken them to the cusp of the knockouts for the first time since 2010.
They can still qualify as group winners if they beat Croatia in Philadelphia and England fail to beat Panama, while victories for both the Black Stars and the Three Lions could still see Ghana top the group if they surpass England’s goal difference.
Even if they lose, Ghana will fancy their chances that four points will be enough to take them through to the Last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
