Nigeria captain Mikel furious with VAR after Argentina defeat

Nigeria captain Mikel John Obi was furious after their World Cup defeat to Argentina. Mikel was left fuming with the referee and the VAR system after his side were denied a penalty and later defeated by Argentina in Saint Petersburg. The Super Eagles were level with the Argentines and poised to progress from Group D, […]

Nigeria captain Mikel John Obi was furious after their World Cup defeat to Argentina.

Mikel was left fuming with the referee and the VAR system after his side were denied a penalty and later defeated by Argentina in Saint Petersburg.

The Super Eagles were level with the Argentines and poised to progress from Group D, when defender Marcos Rojo headed the ball onto his own arm in the penalty area.

"I don’t understand how that wasn’t a penalty," said the former Chelsea midfielder.

"For me, it was a clear handball. If you look at the game yesterday, Portugal, that wasn’t even close to this. This was even worse – very open. He headed the ball and it hit his hand.

"Maybe the referee has given the first penalty, he doesn’t want to give the second one. But a penalty is a penalty. If it’s a penalty, you can still give a penalty.

"We’ve seen it again in the dressing room, it was a clear penalty. There wasn’t any way the referee could not give that.

"He looked at the VAR. I asked him, ‘Did it hit the hand?’ He said ‘Yes’. But why it’s not a penalty…he said he doesn’t know."