Fans petition Fifa to investigate Scotland’s World Cup win over Haiti
More than 150,000 fans have signed a petition demanding Fifa investigates Scotland’s 1-0 World Cup victory over Haiti following a series of controversial refereeing decisions.
Scotland secured their first win at the tournament in 36 years during Sunday’s Group C clash in Boston.
A deflected strike from Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn was enough to claim all three points for Steve Clarke’s side.
However, the historic result has been overshadowed by mounting anger over the performance of Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal.
Haiti denied crucial penalty appeals
The Caribbean nation had two strong penalty claims waved away during a deeply scrappy encounter.
Both incidents involved alleged handballs by Scottish defender Grant Hanley inside his own penalty area.
The video assistant referee failed to intervene on either occasion, sparking outrage among the Haitian players and supporters.
This defeat leaves Haiti in a precarious position before they complete their group stage fixtures against tournament heavyweights Brazil and Morocco.
Captain demands clarity from officials
Haiti captain Johny Placide expressed intense frustration with the standard of officiating after the final whistle.
The veteran goalkeeper was particularly dismayed by the complete lack of communication from the match officials regarding the penalty appeals.
“We waited for VAR to intervene, we waited for explanations, but nothing came.”
“As players, we dedicate our lives to this competition, so naturally we want clarity.”
Unprecedented calls for Fifa action
The viral online petition, originally launched by a supporter in Paris, describes the officiating as arbitrary.
Organisers claim the refereeing profoundly influenced the final result and are urging football’s global governing body to stand down the match officials pending a full investigation.
Fifa has yet to issue an official response to the mounting public pressure.
It remains highly unlikely that the Tartan Army will be stripped of their narrow victory.
Scotland return to action on Friday evening against Morocco in Boston, while Haiti face Brazil in Pittsburgh.
