World Cup: ‘It was penalty’ – Rooney on England’s Konsa’s tackle on Ghana player

England icon, Wayne Rooney has admitted that the referee should have awarded a penalty against his country when they played Ghana in the World Cup on Tuesday night.

The Three Lions were held to a scoreless draw by the Black Stars, with both teams preserving their unbeaten records in the tournament.

Manchester United legend, Rooney shared his opinion on the issue during BBC’s Match of the Day, indicating that he believes England were fortunate. 

He clarified that a penalty should have been awarded since Ezri Konsa made contact with the player rather than the ball while attempting to tackle.

The penalty incident emerged as one of the most significant discussion points from the match, where Ghana conceded the majority of possession. 

Neither team was able to create many opportunities, and the no-call could have had a considerable impact on the match’s outcome.

In the 79th minute, Ghana winger, Abdul Fatawu regained possession before delivering a through ball to Prince Adu.

The striker was brought down in the penalty area by a desperate challenge from behind by Ezri Konsa, yet the referee ruled the tackle to be fair and legal. 

And the VAR did not intervene or prompt the referee to reassess the situation, allowing England to escape a potential foul.

Rooney said, “I think that’s a penalty. Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball.”