South Africa coach Hugo Broos has revealed that even Mohamed Salah
admitted surprise at the penalty decision that helped Egypt secure a 1-0
victory over Bafana Bafana in their Africa Cup of Nations clash on Friday.
The result delayed South Africa’s chance to secure early qualification for
the knockout stages. The match was dominated by two major talking points:
Egypt’s awarded penalty in the first half, and a denied penalty appeal for
South Africa in the second.
Egypt’s penalty was given after the referee reviewed the VAR monitor, ruling
that Khuliso Mudau had fouled Salah by making contact with his face. Later,
Bafana Bafana’s appeals for a handball against Egyptian defender Yasser
Ibrahim were turned down.
“In my opinion, Egypt were the better side in the first half and we were
better in the second. The match was decided by two decisions that were not
correct,” Broos stated after the game in Agadir.
He went on to explain, “The first penalty was ridiculous. Even Mo Salah told
me after the game that he was surprised it was given. The second incident
was a clear penalty—the arm was away from the body and the ball struck it.
But now we hear about this ‘supporting arm’ rule. With so many rules about
what is and isn’t a penalty, people don’t know what to decide anymore.”
