Morocco Contest Mbappe’s Goal

MBAPPE’S opening goal when helping France eliminate Morocco in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals sparked debate after the Atlas Lions squad claimed that a handball incident occurred before the goal.

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi stressed that several of his players stopped playing because they realised a handball situation had occurred in the move that led to France’s goal.

“Several of our players stopped because there was a handball. And it is true that a handball did occur!

“I don’t know whether it should have been given as an offence or not, I’m not sure,” said Ouahbi.

However, Ouahbi acknowledged that the goal still came through Mbappe’s individual brilliance in getting past the defence before scoring.

The controversy also drew reactions from football fans who questioned whether the same decision would have received a different reaction if it involved a high-profile team like Argentina.

However, refereeing analyst Juan Guzmán explained that the incident should not have been penalised because the contact was accidental, had no direct connection to the goal, and possession of the ball changed before the goal was scored.

According to him, the decision to allow France’s goal was correct based on the laws of the game.

Sinar Harian