Benni McCarthy, who was following the game from the studio of South Africa’s SABC 4, described Salah’s fall in the box as pure acting.
He said the awarded spot-kick was “very soft” and joked that Salah went down “as if Mudau had poked his eye out,” according to comments relayed by the WinWin website.
Former Arsenal and Cameroon defender Lauren had also weighed in from the same studio. He had argued that Khuliso Mudau never once looked at Salah and was simply using his arm naturally while running, insisting that, in such a situation, the defender’s focus remained on the ball rather than on fouling the forward.
Lauren had added that he would only consider it a clear penalty if a defender looked at the attacker first and then struck him, which he felt had not happened in this incident.
The controversy had erupted after Salah fell when Mudau’s hand brushed his forehead inside the area, prompting referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana to award a penalty to Egypt, a decision that had sparked furious protests from the South African players and bench.
