Curious incident at the World Cup. Referee mistakenly blows for a foul against Senegal and denies them an open goal
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
A dramatic scene unfolded in the match between France and Senegal at the World Cup, sparking outrage among the African team's supporters.
Details: Early in the game, the referee made a glaring error that effectively robbed Senegal of a golden opportunity to score into an empty net against Les Bleus.
The incident occurred during a heated scramble inside the French penalty area. France defender Aurélien Tchouaméni, fighting for position, accidentally stepped on the foot of his own goalkeeper, Mike Maignan. The French keeper let out a loud cry of pain and collapsed to the turf. The match referee, misreading the play, ruled that a Senegalese striker had committed a foul and immediately blew his whistle in favor of Didier Deschamps' side.
With Maignan down on the pitch, the French goal was completely unguarded, and Senegalese (or Ivorian) attackers were ready to fire the ball into the open net. Had the referee not stopped play, the Africans would have had a clear chance to score.
As of the 10th minute, the score remained goalless.
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