Yiadom admits Ghana’s penalty was ‘soft’

by Graeme Jackson

Sunday Nov 21, 2021. 13:00

Ghana defender Andy Yiadom has admitted that the Black Stars’ decisive penalty in their crucial 2022 World Cup Qualifier against South Africa last weekend was ‘soft’.

Ghana defeated SA 1-0 – thanks to the controversial penalty, converted by Andre Ayew – at Cape Coast Sports Stadium last Sunday to sneak ahead of Bafana Bafana at the top of Group G and advance into the final phase on the road to Qatar 2022.

The fallout from the match has seen the South African Football Association (SAFA) lay a complaint against referee Maguette N’Diaye and lodge an appeal with FIFA for the game to be replayed.

Meanwhile, Reading defender Yiadom agrees that the spot kick was a debatable one, but says that is part and parcel of football.

“When I was on the pitch it looked like it was a penalty, but I have watched it back it looks like it could be a little bit soft,” he told the BBC.

“But it is football and I have had them given against me plenty of times and it is one of those things and it was about actually scoring the penalty which we did.

“I have been the person who has just touched him and the other person has just fallen over. At the moment I know we won the game and that’s that.”

A war of words has broken out between SAFA and the Ghana FA since the match, but Yiadom says he and his teammates have not discussed the issue.

“We have a WhatsApp group but nothing has really been said in it and I haven’t really been following it – has been pretty hectic and I have been travelling a lot and been in training and have to crack on with the game [Reading v Nottingham Forest] on Saturday,” he explained.