Harry Kane (Image: BBC Sport)
England should have been awarded a penalty in the closing stages of their World Cup knockout match vs DR Congo, according to Alan Shearer. The Three Lions were looking to get back into the match after Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute opener.
They had the chance to make the scoreline 2-0, with Yohan Wissa hitting the post. In the next seconds, England broke, with Harry Kane getting in on goal. He appeared to be taken out by goalkeeper Lionel Mpase, but shouts were waved away by the referee.
There was a VAR check, but they stuck with the on-field decision, with play continuing. Speaking on BBC Sport, Shearer said the decision should have been overturned.
“There’s contact, there’s no doubt. That for me is a penalty,” he said.
“Harry might make the most of it but the keeper has come out and his hands are there. If he’s going to come rushing out like that and leave his arms there, as a forward you’ve got every right to make connection with those hands and go down.
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Harry Kane had a big penalty shout for England vs DR Congo (Image: Getty)
“I thought that was a penalty. Mpasi’s made his mind up, you can’t go back, he has to connect and has to go down and dive. All the forward has to do is get that first touch and he’s got it Harry Kane.
“Then you’ve got every right to go into the goalkeeper if he’s daft enough to come rushing out like that. That for me should have been a penalty. I do think DR Congo have got away with one.”
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson also believes that a penalty should have been awarded. “Wow. They have got that wrong,” he told BBC Radio 5Live.
“They have got that so wrong. That’s not just me being patriotic, that is a penalty. The contact is there.”
Speaking at half time on BBC, both Micah Richards and Joe Hart agreed with their fellow pundits. “He touches him, the goalkeeper definitely does touch him,” Richards said.
“I mean, if I was a striker, I would definitely want it. I can understand why it wasn’t overturned. But I just think, he touches him so I want that as a penalty. I want that as a penalty.”
Hart added: “As soon as I miss that ball and I feel Harry Kane’s contact, I’m getting ready. If I’ve got it written on my water bottle, I’m working out where Harry Kane’s next penalty is going to be.
“So he will be absolutely delighted when he looks up and sees the referee not giving this, because I would expect that to be given against me.”
Former England captain Wayne Rooney did however disagree. “I’m all for the forwards, but I just think he trips himself a little bit and jumps into the goalkeeper a little bit,” he said.
“Yeah, there is contact, but I just think…Just by that little trip of himself and jumping into him with two feet a little bit, I think it’s probably the right decision.”
He continued: “He stumps his toe into the ground here on his right foot, and then he jumps into the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper has rushed out, he’s left himself in a position where the referee could give the penalty, but I just think it looks like he’s dived into him, so I think it’s probably not a penalty.”
England had other chances to draw level, with Jude Bellingham seeing headers saved by Mpase. Marcus Rashford also had a shot cleared off the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.