A petition has been launched after a controversial penalty decision ended South Africa’s World Cup hopes.
Disgruntled fans have thrown their support behind an online petition urging FIFA, CAF, and World Cup organizers to take action following a qualifier between Ghana and South Africa.
Ghana claimed a 1-0 win in the tie after a dubious penalty decision allowed Andre Ayew to score from the spot, ensuring the Black Stars qualified for the next round of qualifiers as Group G winners at South Africa’s expense.
The Bafana Bafana’s wait for a first World Cup appearance since 2010, therefore, continues until 2026 at the earliest.
Petition demands rematch
Needless to say, the outcome – namely referee Ndiaye Maguette’s penalty call – hasn’t gone down well with fans.
Thato Majola, a teacher from South Africa, has launched a petition on Change.org to request a rematch between the two teams at a neutral venue, an investigation into the referee, and for FIFA to appoint a match official from an Arab nation.
At the time of writing, more than 57,000 users have signed the petition in what is quickly becoming one of the most signed appeals ever on Change.org.
To sign the petition yourself, visit the link here.
“Failure to replay the match will mean the World Cup Finals in Qatar, the first in the middle east will always be tainted with suspicions of corruption and match-fixing,” Majola warned FIFA.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has already lodged a formal complaint to FIFA and CAF over the matter.
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