Officiating at the Women's worldcup

[bret- hart]

As soon as they see an African they believe they are looking at savages. So we never get the benefit that we only came to play football. As for people saying we should harass the refs, I laugh. I laugh because the sight of several African players and their officials sorrounding a white ref... Let me laugh again.. Because I know how that is going to be perceived when the racist dregs called media stsrt to wax lyrical about African teams behaving like savages.

The simple truth here whether we like it or not is, the playing field is not level. Take it or leave it. As soon as the VAR came in it became a tool to confirm whatever they want to affirm in the game. The problem with us Africans is believing these people want the field to be level, no they don't, the message has always been, know your place.

Well better than too look like lookozed while they rob us blind. I remember Oliseh was never afraid to tell the oyinbo refs off. Amokachi was very vocal as well. We need that kind of leadership when we play France on Monday. Oshoala and Oparanoze need to be on that refs ear because they will do everything in their power to eff with us. Dennerby needs to earn his pay and put the refs on blast at the press conference. That's how Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho used to do it. The little things like this will go some ways.

[wiseone]

The odd thing is that when the game hit the 70 minute mark with the score still at 0-0, I got very nervous. Not because I thought France would score, but because I kept thinking to myself: "the officials will manufacture some sh*thousery to gift this game to France". Of course they did. Every time I think refereeing injustices against African teams cannot get any worse - I am proved wrong.

The incredible thing is that from that one play the officials: sent off a Nigerian player, booked another, awarded 2 penalties against Nigeria, and allowed France to score a retaken PK. I struggle to think of any other game in the history of football where a team has been penalised 5 times for one offence.

[oloye]

As soon as they see an African they believe they are looking at savages. So we never get the benefit that we only came to play football. As for people saying we should harass the refs, I laugh. I laugh because the sight of several African players and their officials sorrounding a white ref... Let me laugh again.. Because I know how that is going to be perceived when the racist dregs called media stsrt to wax lyrical about African teams behaving like savages.

The simple truth here whether we like it or not is, the playing field is not level. Take it or leave it. As soon as the VAR came in it became a tool to confirm whatever they want to affirm in the game. The problem with us Africans is believing these people want the field to be level, no they don't, the message has always been, know your place.

Well better than too look like lookozed while they rob us blind. I remember Oliseh was never afraid to tell the oyinbo refs off. Amokachi was very vocal as well. We need that kind of leadership when we play France on Monday. Oshoala and Oparanoze need to be on that refs ear because they will do everything in their power to eff with us. Dennerby needs to earn his pay and put the refs on blast at the press conference. That's how Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho used to do it. The little things like this will go some ways.

The point is not about looking like lucozade or ribena, the point is what can be done to stop the cheating. Our girls raised the rabble yesterday short of walking off the pitch. They sorrounded the ref, it got the keeper a yellow and strict rebuke. For all their effort, the penalty was retaken it appeared all the haranguing only made the ref to become more resolve to cheat.

That is the point I was making, they have made it a point to cheat, the rules were made to be enforced upon the small teams especially African teams. If you harass the ref they would pull out another rule and use it to punish you.

Whether you look like lucozade or like red bull, the point is they don't care!

[wiseone]

Oloye - are you not surprised that our coaches do not protest some of the crazy refereeing? After the scandal against France, Dennerby refused to talk about it in his post-match interview because (in his words) he did not want to get into trouble. Ditto Mikel when he recorded a support video on social media which he sent to the Falcons. In 2014, Keshi (may he RIP) sat on the bench like a statue and watched Matuidi nearly amputate Onazi's leg, Giroud hit Mikel with an elbow, the ref disallow an Emenike goal, and other French players execute a repertoire of dangerous WWE wrestling moves on Nigerian players. Ditto Rohr at the 2018 WC when Rojo was cheating in both penalty areas.

Now contrast that with managers like Mourinho, Wenger, Warnock, and SAF who "manage the referees" even before the game starts! Big name coaches are notorious for dropping in comments in their press conferences leading up to big games and tournaments, with wily mentions of previous mistakes that a referee has made or pointing out the need for "a strong referee" who can resist the skulldggery of the opposition and their fans. Remember that in the lead-up to Man Utd's treble in 1999, SAF was fined prior to their QF game against Inter Milan, after he told the ref to watch for diving by Inter Mlian players and not to be intimidated by them or their fans. During the game, Inter had several penalty shouts and their players went ape s**t when the ref waved all of them away. SAF was fined for his comments but in his biography he admitted he did not care about the fine as his comments got the referee to be fair and straight just like he wanted.

As soon as they see an African they believe they are looking at savages. So we never get the benefit that we only came to play football. As for people saying we should harass the refs, I laugh. I laugh because the sight of several African players and their officials sorrounding a white ref... Let me laugh again.. Because I know how that is going to be perceived when the racist dregs called media stsrt to wax lyrical about African teams behaving like savages.

The simple truth here whether we like it or not is, the playing field is not level. Take it or leave it. As soon as the VAR came in it became a tool to confirm whatever they want to affirm in the game. The problem with us Africans is believing these people want the field to be level, no they don't, the message has always been, know your place.

[kajifu]

The difference between us and advanced footballing nations is we expect the ref to do their job and those other people don't. So they work very hard to influence the referee. Those other countries teach their players from an early age how to foul without getting caught, how to complain to the ref to get the desired result. We see all the European and south American countries do this in the world cup all the time so it looks to us like the ref is cheating for them.

Even our coaches don't know how to complain, but you See Mourinho and Wenger attacking the ref in the press even before they play the game. They are just looking for a psychological advantage to influence the ref.

I have said this before, we need to incorporate this into our football by appointing a referee to each national team to teach them how to complain and influence the referee during the game to get results.

Barcelona FC spend an hour a day about how to attack ref and get the call.

[wiseone]

I actually think Nigeria's protests at the ref after what happened to them against France indirectly contributed to them going through. The injustice against them focused the minds of officials and commentators on the "foot on the line" rule. Hence they knew they had to watch out for it in other games so it would not look like a stitch up against Nigeria only. Hence why they ordered that Argentine penalty against Scotland to be retaken. Had the VAR not made that call, the Falcons would be going home right now.