Argentina’s ticket to the round of 16 after the victory against Cape Verde is causing intense controversy as a series of decisions from the referee are suspected of showing signs of favoring the defending champions.
Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in the round of 32 became the center of fiery controversies regarding the match officiating. Many opinions suggested that the African representative had to suffer systematic disadvantageous decisions.
Specifically, The Touchmine channel presented evidence showing that Cape Verde was treated unfairly in key situations. First was the play where Lionel Messi was awarded a free kick in a dangerous position despite the opposing defender making a clean, valid challenge on the ball.
Right after that, Argentina’s second goal also faced fierce opposition when Nicolas Tagliafico was said to have committed a clear foul during a corner kick situation before the ball was put into the net, but the referee still recognized the goal.
The climax of the outrage occurred in the final minutes of regular time. A clear foul against a Cape Verde player right on the edge of Argentina’s penalty area was ignored by the refereeing crew. If the decision had been made, Bubista and his students could have possessed an opportunity to score from a direct free kick to settle the match early, instead of having to enter extra time and suffer an ultimate defeat.
The Touchmine believes that Cape Verde had to compete under unfavorable circumstances against the defending champions. Despite their regretful exit, the African representative still fully captured the hearts of neutral fans with their resilient style of play.
