The Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Shorta match, in the third round of the AFC Champions League Premier League, witnessed a highly controversial refereeing decision, despite the presence of video technology.
In the 36th minute, with Al-Ittihad leading 2-1 in Baghdad, Al-Shorta player Dominique Mendy unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. It hit the crossbar and then bounced toward goal, but was cleared by the Saudi club’s defenders.
At that moment, protests began from Al-Shorta players and fans, who argued that the ball appeared to have entered the goal and crossed the goal line entirely. The referee stopped the match and resorted to video technology to review the play from various angles.
After several minutes of review, the referee, in agreement with the video technology, decided that the ball had not been scored. This sparked considerable controversy, given that there were several angles that suggested the ball had crossed the goal line entirely.
Hawk-Eye technology is absent from the AFC Champions League, leaving only video technology to resolve the issue. It appears to have produced a moment that will continue to be the talk of the town for fans around the world this year.
