Javier Balboa Sparks Controversy Over Penalty That Eliminated Tunisia
A statement from Equatorial Guinea’s Javier Balboa is likely to deepen frustrations among Tunisian fans after their team’s shock quarter-final exit at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Balboa acknowledged there was “perhaps no” foul in the highly debated penalty awarded to Equatorial Guinea that helped secure their 2-1 victory over Tunisia — a decision Pierre Ménès had previously described as a “shameful theft.”
However, Balboa defended the penalty, saying:
“These are facts of the game that happen every weekend in the best leagues in the world, in Spain, in England. Maradona scored a goal with his hand in a World Cup, and it was much clearer than the penalty the other day. You have to take penalties too, especially with the pressure, in the minute it was. Then there was the free kick, and we won 2-1.”
Equatorial Guinea will now face Ghana in Thursday’s semi-final, with both teams eyeing a place in the final.
As debates continue, the question on everyone’s mind remains: who will lift the CAN trophy this year?
