World Cup 2026: Benni McCarthy questions consistency after Hakimi challenge in Morocco-Brazil draw

South Africa legend Benni McCarthy has weighed in on the controversial challenge involving Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior during Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil in a 2026 FIFA World Cup encounter, suggesting officiating standards are applied unevenly at international level.

The Atlas Lions impressed again on the global stage as they held five-time world champions Brazil in a fiercely contested match. Morocco struck first in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari, who capitalised on defensive uncertainty to give the North Africans the lead.

Brazil responded just over 10 minutes later when Vinicius Junior produced a moment of individual brilliance to restore parity, sending both sides into the break level.

While the result drew widespread attention, debate centred on a second-half incident involving Hakimi and Vinicius. The Paris Saint-Germain defender appeared to catch the Brazilian forward with a strong challenge, but the referee allowed play to continue without sanction.

The decision divided opinion and prompted criticism from McCarthy, who referenced recent disciplinary setbacks suffered by South Africa in their own World Cup campaign.

Speaking on SportyTV, the former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers striker questioned whether similar incidents are judged consistently across different teams and regions.

“If that was a South African player, he would be gone,” McCarthy said, according to Foot Africa.

“That was very naughty from Hakimi. He proper caught Vinny Jnr. I know it’s not deliberate, but he caught him,” added the former Cape Town City coach.

McCarthy further suggested there are disparities in officiating decisions involving different nations and star players, arguing that treatment on the pitch can vary depending on reputation and team status.

“Tell me about the bias towards certain countries, and certain players,” he said.

“When it’s Afrique du Sud (South Africa), then it’s a different ball game.”