VAR blocks Odion Ighalo brace in Saudi Arabia
The introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) have brought both positive and negative emotions to fans and football players.
On Friday night in Saudi Arabia, VAR activities caused pain for Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo who playes for Al Wedha SC in the money-spinning Pro League.
VAR disallowed two goals scored by Odion Ighalo during Al-Wehda’s 1-1 draw against Al Tai.
The Nigerian striker, who has been making waves in the Saudi Arabia Professional League, faced disappointment as his goals were overturned by the Video Assistant Referee.
The match, which took place on Friday, February 16, 2024, saw Ighalo in the starting lineup for Al-Wehda.
Despite both teams having several opportunities, the first half ended without any goals.
However, in the 66th minute, Ighalo appeared to have broken the deadlock, only for his goal to be annulled after a VAR review. Al Wehda managed to take the lead in the 72nd minute thanks to a goal from defender Jawd El Yamiq.
As Al Wedha pushed for a match-winner, Ighalo found the back of the net again in the 86th minute, only for VAR to intervene once more and disallow the goal.
Ultimately, Al Tai capitalized on the opportunity, equalizing in the eighth minute of additional time through Andrei Cordea.
Despite the disappointment, Ighalo remains a key player for Al Wehda, and he will be eager to bounce back and add to his goal tally when his team faces Al-Ittihad on Monday, February 26, 2024.
