Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu Issahaku has disputed the penalty that helped Ivory Coast seal a 2-0 victory over the Black Stars in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The Black Stars began their Group C campaign with defeat at the Stade de Bouaké on Thursday, with Malick Yalcouyé opening the scoring before Franck Kessié converted from the spot in the second half.
The penalty was awarded after Ipswich Town forward Issahaku was judged to have fouled Yalcouyé inside the area.
However, the 21-year-old insisted he made no contact with the Ivorian midfielder and was only trying to block a shot.
“Everyone can see what happened on the field, because I was the one who went for the tackle,” he told 3Sports.
“I didn’t go to kick him or anything. I just wanted to stop him from shooting. I don’t know why the referee made that decision because you can see clearly that I didn’t touch him.
“I didn’t even go to do anything. It was just to cover. I don’t know why the referee gave the penalty, but I have nothing to say.”
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz also criticised the decision after the match, describing the penalty as a “joke”.
The defeat leaves Ghana without a point after their opening qualifier, while Ivory Coast move to the top of Group C with three points.
The Black Stars will look to bounce back when they host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on 29 September.
