Palestine declare VAR against Iranian referee over controversial penalty in World Cup qualifier

The Palestine Football Association (PFA) have filed a complaint with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), demanding a probe into the awarding of a controversial penalty in the crucial World Cup qualifier against Oman, which led to their dramatic exit.

Issam Al Sabhi scored deep in stoppage time (90+7 minutes) to make it 1-1 for Oman in the final Group B match in the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifier in Amman on June 10. Palestine, which needed a win to advance, were knocked out after the draw.

"The PFA closely monitored the match proceedings, with particular concern over the decision made by the Iranian referee, Mr. Mooud Bonyadifard, to award a penalty kick to the Omani team in stoppage time a decision that resulted in the equalizing goal," PFA said in a statement on Friday.

The PFA claims the on-field referee did not consider making optimum use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system that helps to arrive at better decisions about potentially controversial situations, such a penalties and red cards.

"Following a thorough review of the official match footage and various replays shared across media platforms and social networks, it has become evident that the penalty decision lacked the necessary refereeing criteria and did not meet the technical standards required to justify such a call. This decision was clearly unfair to our national team.

"In light of these findings, the PFA has submitted a formal complaint to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The complaint calls for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident and a review of all related refereeing procedures in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the respective governing bodies. This step aims to uphold sporting justice and ensure the integrity of international competition."

The draw was sufficient for Oman to progress to round four. Palestine were aiming to qualify for their maiden FIFA World Cup. Next year's World Cup to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA, has been expanded to 48 teams, with the AFC having eight slots. Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea and debutants Jordan and Uzbekistan have qualified from the AFC, leaving two spots up for picking from the remaining rounds of qualification.

The State of Palestine has been devastated by the war between Israel and Hamas. In January this year, the Palestinian Football Association said the war has claimed the lives of more than 380 Palestinian footballers. The war that began in October 2023 has destroyed Gaza, leaving more than 50,000 dead.