England denied clear World Cup penalty after foul on Harry Kane
England were wrongly denied a crucial World Cup penalty against Congo DR after Harry Kane was brought down by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
The controversial incident occurred in the 43rd minute of the pivotal group-stage clash.
The Three Lions captain burst through on goal and rounded the advancing keeper before being aggressively tripped.
Referee Adham Mohammad Tumah Makhadmeh immediately waved away strong appeals from the European side.
VAR protocol comes under scrutiny
Video assistant referee Khamis Al Marri subsequently checked the on-field decision from the booth.
The Qatari official ultimately cleared the ruling without requesting a pitch-side monitor review.
Officials determined that contact by the goalkeeper was not the primary reason for the striker going to ground.
Slow-motion replay blamed for error
Former Premier League referee Andy Davies believes the non-intervention cost the national side a guaranteed spot-kick.
“I have no doubt this should have been a penalty, and England should feel unfortunate,” said Davies.
“When an attacker shifts the ball wide of a keeper while moving at pace, the responsibility is on the keeper to either win the ball or avoid contact.”
The former Select Group official noted that the African side’s stopper failed on both fronts by making zero contact with the ball.
Review speed questioned
Davies also highlighted a major procedural error in the technical review process.
“The VAR amazingly checked this challenge in slow motion, which was odd,” he added.
Reviewing high-speed collisions at reduced speed often creates unwarranted doubt regarding an attacker’s genuine intentions.
Elite officiating guidelines dictate that such dynamic situations must be evaluated in real time to determine true culpability.
The expanded 104-game format of the 2026 tournament is placing unprecedented scrutiny on match officials across the board.