Fousseni Diawara is clearly struggling to come to terms with Mali’s defeat against Algeria in their second 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. The Eagles fell 1-0 at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida, losing to the Fennecs who secured their second win in as many games, capitalizing late in the match when Mali was down to ten men.
Diawara, Mali’s defender, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing, suggesting that the official’s decisions influenced the outcome unfairly. While he congratulated the Algerian team and acknowledged their quality, he firmly stated that they did not need the referee’s assistance to win.
He said, “First of all, I want to congratulate the Algerian team for their victory, that’s fair play. But with all my respect to the excellent players who make up this Algerian team, I must say that they didn’t need the help of the referee to win; they could have beaten us fairly because they have quality. Regarding this referee, I must say that he completely distorted the final result of the match, he outright offered the three points to the Algerians. It’s really a shame to see the efforts we made before and during the match evaporate into thin air because of such refereeing. Once again, it’s a shame!”
His comments, reported by lebuteur.com, highlight the frustration and sense of injustice felt by Mali after a tightly contested match decided under controversial circumstances.
