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Nigeria came agonisingly close to scoring due to an indirect freekick, which was heavily contested when it was awarded. We examined if it was warranted.
Nigeria played out a 1-1 draw in their CAF World Cup qualifier clash against Zimbabwe; in what was a drab affair for most of the encounter, a moment of heated exchanges stood out.
The Super Eagles travelled to Butare, Rwanda, where they faced Zimbabwe at Stade Huye as they looked to get their World Cup qualifier back on track, but, as was the case against Lesotho, they faltered, settling for a mere point.
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The Warriors scored first, and Nigeria had to rally from behind. The Super Eagles came closest to an equaliser in the 57th minute of the game when they were handed an indirect freekick—which caused an uproar—before Kelechi Iheanacho eventually restored parity in the 67th minute.
Nigeria’s indirect freekick
Djiboutian referee Souleiman Ahmed Djama raised his hand above his head before the hour mark to signify that he had awarded the Super Eagles an indirect freekick.
This decision that seemingly presented the visitors with a high percentage scoring chance felt unearned to the Zimbabweans, and they held up the game for a brief period, accosting the referee and pleading their case.
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The decision had been made, however, and Nigeria had to come up with a winning free-kick routine to be taken inside the opposition’s box. The eventual attempt was a well-worked one; Iheanacho played a swift ball into Boniface, who was hanging around the goal poll, and the Leverkusen striker’s redirect towards the goal needed a goalline clearance to keep the scoreboard lopsided.
Why Nigeria was awarded the indirect freekick
Nigeria were awarded an indirect freekick for an infringement by Donovan Bernard, the Zimbabwean goalkeeper. The Chicken Inn shot-stopper made a deliberate and blatant attempt at time-wasting as he rolled on the floor seconds after intercepting a failed cross from Bright Osayi-Samuel.
A goalkeeper can concede an indirect freekick inside the penalty box against his own team by doing any of the following:
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1- Back-Pass Violation: When a teammate deliberately passes the ball back to the goalkeeper using their feet, if the goalkeeper touches the ball with their hands, it results in a back-pass offence. Consequently, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot where the goalkeeper made contact with the ball.
2- Holding the Ball for More Than Six Seconds: The Laws of the Game specify that a goalkeeper cannot possess the ball for more than six seconds. If the goalkeeper exceeds this time limit, an indirect free kick is granted to the opposing team from the location where the goalkeeper touched the ball.
3- Handling a Throw-In: If a teammate throws the ball directly to the goalkeeper and the goalkeeper catches or touches the ball with their hands, it constitutes an illegal handling of a throw-in. As a result, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot where the handling occurred.
On this evidence, it is clear that, contrary to the opposition from the Zimbabweans, the decision to award the Super Eagles an indirect free-kick was the right one.
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