Kwenaite to Ghana: Don’t cry…this is how Bafana Bafana felt
Veteran analyst Thomas ‘TK’ Kwenaite says Ghana now know how South Africans felt when the Black Stars benefitted from a dubious penalty in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The SuperSport TV analyst said Ghana mustn’t complain about Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty goal in the 3-2 loss to Portugal on Wednesday at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“Shem, I listened to the wailings of Ghanaians after the penalty that was awarded to Portugal, and Cristiano Rolando scored from the spot,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“There was outrage that reverberated from Accra all the way to Doha that it was a “fake” penalty!”
Kwenaite said the Black Stars, too, benefited from such injustice on South Africa after they were awarded a dubious penalty in one but last World Cup African qualifying round last year.
“I do sympathise with them, but at least now they know how South Africans felt after they also benefitted from a similar dubious penalty against Bafana Bafana in qualifying for this very World Cup,” he said.
Kwenaite reminded the Ghanaians that they had told the South Africans to get a life after Senegalese referee Maguette N’Diaye awarded the Black Stars a fake penalty.
“They said at the time that South Africans should get a life and move on, that Mzansi were cry babies, but like I say, we do sympathise and hope they will rise up and dust themselves up from the Portuguese setback going forward,” Kwenaite added.
GHANA’S CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY AGAINST BAFANA BAFANA
In the World Cup qualifiers, Ghana captain Andre Ayew converted to send the hosts through to the final qualifying round, where they eliminated Nigeria.
The referee adjudged Bafana Bafana defender Rushine De Rucke to have fouled Ghana’s Daniel Amartey while trying to stop a corner kick in the box.
The Leicester City defender went to the ground as if hit by a train to earn Ghana a penalty, despite receiving minimal contact.
South Africa had bright chances of progressing to the final qualifying round as they just needed a draw in that Group D contest at Cape Coast Stadium last November.
BLACK STARS GET THE BITTER TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE
Ghana got a bitter taste of their own medicine at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
The referee adjudged Ghana defender Mohamed Salisu to have fouled Ronaldo, who dived, and the referee fell into the trap to award Portugal a penalty.
Ronaldo’s 65th-minute goal turned the game around for the Portuguese, who went on to score two more goals from Joao Felix in the 78th minute and Rafael Leao two minutes later.
The Atletico Madrid star Felix swept the ball home from a counterattack five minutes after the Black Stars had equalized through captain Ayew.
The former Swansea and West Ham star reacted the fastest in the box to score Ghana’s equaliser.
Osman Bukari headed home Ghana’s second goal after a delightful cross, and that proved to be the final response for the Africans.
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