Hussein Yassin: No Penalty in Masina Incident Due to Lack of Foot Contact, Unclear Hand Push

Hussein Yassin, a journalist with Qatar's beIN Sports network, stated that the refereeing incident which sparked widespread controversy on social media during the match between Morocco and Tanzania did not warrant a penalty kick.

Yassin wrote on his social media accounts: “I have seen this incident everywhere, and in my personal opinion, it is not a penalty kick. Firstly, because there was no contact at foot level.”

He continued: “Secondly, according to the law, a push must be with both hands, not one, unless the one-handed push is very clear, which does not apply to this situation, as it was merely normal contact that frequently occurs in matches.”

He added: “I would also like to clarify an important point regarding Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, as many believe that the referee decides to consult VAR, which is absolutely incorrect.”

Yassin elaborated: “VAR officials are the ones who decide to call the referee only when there is certainty of a clear error in key decisions such as a goal, penalty kick, or red card, or to alert them to a significant incident they may have missed.”

He concluded: “However, if there is no conclusive footage to prove an error, they are not permitted to call the referee, and the decision stands as made by the on-field official, with the exception of very rare cases.”