Paul Put doesn’t hold back his opinions as he addresses Burkina Faso’s elimination from the decisive match against Algeria (1-0) for the qualification to the 2014 Brazil World Cup. In the aftermath of Burkina Faso’s second appeal being canceled, the Belgian coach expresses his frustration, strongly asserting that his team was unjustly eliminated and pointing out what he believes to be questionable practices in African football.
Put contends, “You could see that in the return match, we were really robbed, and it’s a shame that these kinds of practices still exist in African football. If there is one team that deserved to be with the other African nations for the meeting in Brazil, it is Burkina.” He expresses his disappointment, revealing that he has taken a step back to clear his head and hasn’t contacted any players since their return.
The coach specifically criticizes the Senegalese referee Badarra Diatta, suggesting a suspicious achievement in the decisive match. Put states, “I would say a suspicious achievement because there was offside, and the goal was marred by an irregular hand. We made changes which allowed us to keep our balance while remaining strong. But the referee spent the time calling small fouls when we were in possession of the ball.”
The post ends with a poll asking whether Burkina was truly stolen and whether Paul Put deserves to be the best African coach of the year. The sentiments expressed by Put and the poll indicate a strong belief in the injustice faced by Burkina Faso and raise questions about the integrity of the refereeing decisions in the crucial match.
