CROATIA COACH BLASTS REFEREE AFTER VAR DRAMA-FILLED FIFA WORLD CUP EXIT IN PORTUGAL DEFEAT

"It was very bad refereeing," Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said, adding that Croatia "should have been given more free kicks.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic with Luka Modric© AFP

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has criticised the refereeing in his side's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 defeat to Portugal, calling it "very bad refereeing," while also acknowledging that his team cannot use the officiating as an excuse for their elimination, according to Reuters. The comments came after Croatia's 2-1 defeat to Portugal in a tightly contested knockout match, which ended their campaign at the tournament. The result saw Portugal advance to the Round of 16, while Croatia exited after failing to convert several key chances.

Speaking after the match, Dalic said he believed Croatia were denied several free-kick decisions that could have influenced the flow of the game. He expressed frustration over key moments he felt went against his side but maintained that the result ultimately came down to Croatia's own shortcomings in front of goal.

"It was very bad refereeing," Dalic said, adding that Croatia "should have been given more free kicks," according to Reuters.

However, the Croatia coach was quick to temper his criticism, stressing that his team must take responsibility for the defeat. "But Croatia lost. I'm not going to find any excuses," he said, as quoted by Reuters. "We could have won this earlier."

Portugal recovered from an early setback to register a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32. Substitute Goncalo Ramos emerged as the match-winner by heading home a stoppage-time goal to send Roberto Martinez's side into the Round of 16.

Croatia had taken the lead through Ivan Perisic, who became the country's all-time leading World Cup scorer, before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot after a VAR review.

Croatia had two goals ruled out for offside, including a late equaliser deep into stoppage time, as Portugal held on to set up an all-Iberian Round of 16 clash against Spain. The match also marked the end of Luka Modric's potential World Cup career.

- ANI

SIMBA SEAL SEMI-FINAL BERTH AFTER PENALTY TRIUMPH OVER AL MASRY

Tanzanian giants Simba SC overcame a two-goal first-leg deficit to knock Egypt’s Al Masry out of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup in dramatic fashion, winning 4-1 on penalties after a 2-0 win in regulation time in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

Goals in the first half from Elie Mpanzu and Steven Mukwala gave Simba the cushion they needed to level the tie on aggregate, following their defeat by the same scoreline in the first leg in Suez.

The shootout saw the home side dispatch four well-taken penalties, while Al Masry missed two of their three attempts.

Simba storm back to level the tie

Backed by a vocal crowd at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Simba wasted no time asserting dominance. Mpanzu opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, finishing off a solo run with a precise shot past Mahmoud Gad in the Al Masry goal.

Just ten minutes later, Mukwala doubled the lead with a powerful header that left the goalkeeper stranded.

The first half was marred by stoppages, including an injury to Al Masry’s Beninese defender Samadou, who was later substituted. Despite their efforts to respond, the Egyptians struggled to gain a foothold in the match.

VAR drama and missed chances

Al Masry looked brighter in the second half after introducing Mido Gaber and Mohamed Hashem. A controversial moment arose when Simba were awarded a penalty, only for the decision to be overturned after a VAR check.

Mahmoud Gad redeemed himself with several crucial saves, denying Simba from extending their lead in open play. However, he couldn't repeat those heroics during the penalty shootout.

Penalty heartbreak for the Egyptians

In the shootout, Simba were flawless. Jean Ahoua, Mukwala, Kibu Dennis, and Shomari Kapombe all converted their penalties with clinical precision. 

Al Masry, on the other hand, faltered under pressure. Fakhreddine Ben Youssef was the only scorer, while both Mido Gaber and Mahmoud Hamada failed to convert, sealing their side’s elimination.

The result ends Al Masry’s hopes of returning to the Confederation Cup semi-finals, a stage they last reached in 2018.

For Simba, it marks a major milestone as they head into the semi-finals, awaiting the winner between Zamalek and Stellenbosch.

- CAFOnline