Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz delivered a tongue-in-cheek swipe at the video assistant referee after his side’s goalless World Cup draw against England, suggesting VAR may have “gone for a coffee” during two contentious incidents involving the Black Stars.
The Group L encounter at Boston Stadium ended 0-0 on Tuesday, but Ghana left convinced they had been denied a crucial penalty as they battled to earn a point against one of the tournament favourites.
Having opened their campaign with victory, the Black Stars adopted a disciplined approach against Thomas Tuchel’s side, soaking up pressure and frustrating England for long stretches of the contest.
Despite controlling possession and firing 19 attempts at goal, England failed to find a breakthrough against a resolute Ghana defence. The biggest talking points arrived late in the match when Ghana appealed for a penalty after Ezri Konsa challenged Prince Adu inside the box.
Moments earlier, Adu had also gone down following a collision with England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. On that occasion, the referee awarded a free-kick to England rather than penalising the Everton shot-stopper.
Speaking after the match, Queiroz questioned why neither incident resulted in a VAR intervention.
Looking towards a FIFA official during his post-match press conference, he said: “I’m not sure VAR is still working in the World Cup. We still have VAR? It’s working?
“I have some doubts about that because another penalty that they need give to Ghana, a clear penalty against England (was missed).”
The match was officiated by Honduras referee Said Martinez, while American official Armando Villarreal served as VAR in Foxborough.
“We had our chances to the point that they’re lucky. They’re very lucky.
“Once again, VAR went for a coffee. It’s natural, I would like to also take my coffees once in a while, but it was a clear penalty, red card.
“You have any doubts about that? You guys who saw the game have any doubts about that or is it only me that was in the game?
“At the end of the day, that’s why I say it was a fair result.
“They play more time with the ball, we fight more, we fight better, we create our chances, they have chances at the end.
“I think they are happy and I am happy also with the draw.
“I’m sorry for my sarcasm, but if I say these kind of things seriously they punish me, so I hope you understand that I’m joking,” he stated.
Despite his frustration with the officiating, the veteran coach ultimately accepted the outcome, praising his team’s resilience against an England side that enjoyed the majority of the ball but could not break Ghana’s resistance.
Watch his reaction below.
