Antoine Semenyo Urges Black Stars to Put More Pressure on Referees
Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo believes the Black Stars must become more assertive when dealing with match officials after another contentious refereeing decision denied the team what they felt was a clear penalty during their FIFA World Cup clash against England.
The Manchester City attacker said the issue has become a point of discussion within the squad following incidents in successive matches where Ghana were left frustrated by decisions that went unreviewed.
The latest controversy came during Tuesday’s goalless draw with England when substitute Prince Kwabena Adu was brought down inside the penalty area by defender Ezri Konsa as he raced through on goal.
Although the challenge sparked strong appeals from the Ghana players, play continued after an offside offence involving Semenyo was detected in the aftermath, with officials opting not to review the initial foul.
Speaking ahead of Ghana’s decisive Group L encounter against Croatia, Semenyo revealed the players had already discussed changing their approach when such incidents occur.
“Funny you mention that because we actually talked about it in training today. As players, we need to dangle around the referee and complain,” he said.
The forward explained that he had one of the clearest views of the challenge and immediately believed a penalty should have been awarded.
“I was right next to the incident and was the first to put my hand up because I had a clear view of it.”
Semenyo argued that Ghana must do more collectively to ensure referees take notice of contentious moments during matches.
“As a team, we need to be more aggressive around the officials.”
He also suggested players should avoid rushing back to their feet after heavy challenges, while the technical area should continue applying pressure through the fourth official.
“Players need to stay down a bit longer if they’re fouled, and obviously the coach is on the touchline putting pressure on the fourth official.”
The 25-year-old admitted the repeated decisions have left the squad frustrated.
“It’s frustrating because they’ve now failed to check it on two occasions.”
Despite the disappointment over the officiating, Ghana remain in a strong position heading into their final group fixture.
The Black Stars are level on four points with England at the top of Group L, and a victory over Croatia would guarantee their place in the knockout rounds, while a draw could also prove sufficient depending on the outcome of England’s meeting with Panama.
