The controversy surrounding the Ghana national team’s officiating experiences during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar remains a focal point for debates regarding the consistency of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology. Fans and pundits have frequently revisited the group stage match against Portugal, where a penalty decision involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohammed Salisu triggered widespread international scrutiny over the application of technological oversight.
The Penalty Incident: A Point of Contention
During the 65th minute of the Group H opening match on November 24, 2022, at Stadium 974 in Doha, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo went to ground following a challenge from Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu. Referee Ismail Elfath immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Despite protests from the Ghana squad, the VAR booth opted not to intervene or summon the referee for an on-field review.
FIFA’s official match reports confirm that Ronaldo converted the resulting penalty, becoming the first male player to score in five different World Cup tournaments. Ghana head coach Otto Addo was vocal in his dissatisfaction during the post-match press conference. Addo stated that he believed the referee had made a “gift” to the opponent, arguing that the contact was minimal and that the standard of officiating did not align with the tournament’s stated protocols for VAR usage.
Evaluating the VAR Protocol
The core of the frustration expressed by supporters concerns the threshold for “clear and obvious” errors, the governing standard for VAR intervention. According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, VAR is intended to assist match officials in correcting factual mistakes rather than re-refereeing subjective contact.
In the aftermath of the match, FIFA’s refereeing committee did not issue a formal apology, maintaining that the decision remained within the discretion of the officiating team. This lack of public acknowledgment fueled the narrative that the technology was either being applied inconsistently or ignored in high-stakes situations. Sports analysts have often contrasted this decision with other matches in the same tournament where VAR reviews were lengthy and frequent, leading to the perception that the technology’s application lacked a uniform standard.
Stakes and Tournament Implications
The 3-2 defeat against Portugal placed Ghana in a precarious position for the remainder of the group stage. While the Black Stars went on to defeat South Korea 3-2 in their second match, the loss to Portugal tightened the margins for qualification. Ghana eventually exited the tournament after a final group stage loss to Uruguay.
The historical context of Ghana’s World Cup appearances adds weight to the intensity of the reaction. Many fans pointed to the 2010 World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay—specifically the Luis Suárez handball incident—as a psychological baseline for perceived officiating injustices against the nation. For followers of the team, the 2022 penalty call served as a modern echo of previous frustrations, reinforcing a narrative of institutional bias that persists in global football discourse.
The Evolution of Officiating Standards
Since the 2022 tournament, FIFA has continued to refine the implementation of Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and general VAR protocols. The goal, as stated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in various post-tournament briefings, is to reduce the time taken for reviews while increasing the accuracy of factual calls. However, subjective decisions—such as the severity of physical contact inside the penalty area—remain inherently tied to the referee’s interpretation.
The incident involving Ghana and Portugal serves as a case study for the limitations of technology in sports. While VAR can definitively track the path of a ball or a player’s foot position, it cannot fully neutralize the human element of refereeing when it comes to interpreting physical duels. As the sport looks toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the primary challenge remains balancing the desire for absolute fairness with the practical necessity of maintaining the flow of the game.
For official updates on changes to tournament officiating protocols or upcoming international match schedules, fans can refer to the IFAB Laws of the Game or the official FIFA media portal. The next major checkpoint for international officiating adjustments will be the upcoming FIFA council meetings, where policy refinements for future global competitions are expected to be finalized.
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