Punish Him!Onazi Calls For FIFA To Punish Matuidi

Onazi, Osaze and Toure cry out against bad officiating meted out to the African teams.

Events are turning around in the case of Blaise Matuidi after he fouled Nigerian midfielder Ogenyi Onazi.

Matuidi ensured Onazi did not play the 90 minutes in the last 16 game; though he apologized for the challenge, the Nigerian defender is not content that he has to suffer the injury while the French player gets playing time.

After undergoing surgery on the injured left foot, Onazi said FIFA has not played its roll by not having sanctioned the PSG midfielder.

“The French side will announce to the world before a game that we are very physical so that they can come and commit murder and get away with it, yet FIFA will fold their arms and do nothing". I am totally in tune with Maradona, who believes that the tackle on me was worst than what Luis Suarez did to Italian Chellini.

“I beg that FIFA should go back and watch the tape of the game and apply necessary sanctions for the good of the game, otherwise it’s Nigeria today, it could be another big country tomorrow. Justice must be done,” angry Onazi declared.

Osaze who was held down in the French penalty area by Manchester defender Patrice Evra also spoke on the incident.

He questioned the referee’s call on the day, declaring it to be unwelcome and against the FIFA ethics and Fair Play rule which was against the message preached by the game coordinator for Nigeria vs. France, Walter Seiber when he visited the team in their Campinas base.

“I recall that when the Canadian came to us he showed us a film of a defender holding down a striker in the vital area in the course of a game and he was very clear that it should be a penalty. I was then shocked that when I was held by the waist by a French defender, so much so that I could not move with the referee watching at close range, the man waived play on instead of a penalty and a possible expulsion for the player. 

“FIFA should not make the world believe that they use double standards at the World Cup, I am shocked that even the media is keeping quiet over the blatant officiating.''

The Stoke City forward lamented Nigeria’s disallowed own goal: “It was obvious that some forces wanted France to defeat us at all cost but one day Africa will get at par with the rest of the World in football.”

Ivorian player Yaya Toure has also cried out against the unfair officiating accorded the African teams at the World Cup, citing the case as racism.