AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Portugal’s wild 3-2 win over Ghana on Thursday wasn’t without controversy, as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first goal on a penalty after he went down on a tackle from Ghana’s Mohammed Salisu in the box that left the African nation fuming, believing the forward had taken a dive.
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PENALTY FOR PORTUGAL
Do you agree with the call? pic.twitter.com/ZYTaNTlnfE
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RONALDO MAKES HISTORY
With this goal, he becomes the first men’s player to score in five different FIFA World Cup tournaments 🔥🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/PxWP4Z5z8o
Ghanian manager Otto Addo was also aggrieved by the decision, slamming United States referee Ismail Elfath after the match.
“If somebody scores a goal, congratulations,” he told reporters. “But this was really a gift. Really a gift. What more can I say? [It was] a special gift from the referee.”
“I think it was really the wrong decision,” he continued. “I don’t know why VAR didn’t come up. There’s no explanation for me. And then it’s difficult against a world-class team when they are leading.”
He wasn’t alone in his confusion:
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“Why not just check VAR?”
🎤 @JimmyConrad, @SachaKljestan, and @DaMarcusBeasley discuss why VAR wasn’t utilized enough against CR7 and Portugal! #WCNow https://t.co/cL1qRI5KxJ
Jimmy Conrad @JimmyConrad
10 out of 10 for that dive, @Cristiano!
Maximiliano Bretos @MaxBretosSports
Outrageous from Ronaldo. Total dive, ref bought it, hopefully VAR did not.
Regardless, the goal call wasn’t changed, Ronaldo converted from the spot and Portugal went on to win its back-and-forth World Cup opener.
Controversy or not, Ghana found itself without a point after its first matchday.