Worldcup 2018: Mikel Obi suggests VAR favours big countries

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has suggested that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), only works in favour of big countries.

VAR was immersed in controversy on Tuesday night, as Nigeria bowed out of the 2018 World Cup.

With the scores at 1-1, referee Cuneyt Cakir opted not to award the Eagles a second penalty, after the ball came off Marcos Rojo’s arm inside the box.

Rojo went on to score the winner with six minutes left.

Speaking with CompleteSports, Mikel Obi suggested that the decisions always go the way of big teams.

Asked what he thought about the VAR system, the Tianjin TEDA midfielder replied: “Arŕrrrgh, I don’t want to make comment about it. Big country, I don’t know. Small country? I don’t want to go there.”

When pressed on if it doesn’t favour small teams, he answered: “I have nothing to say about it. You can do that mathematics yourself. That’s all I can say.”

http://dailypost.ng/2018/06/28/world-cup-2018-mikel-obi-suggests-var-favours-big-countries/

Fact, but is it their fault that your country is not "big"?

MDsambo:
Fact, but is it their fault that your country is not "big"?

Its really sad now


The ref does not have control again

Dear Mikel the penalty awarded in favour of NIgeria is robbery,it is either the corner kick should have been retaking or over looked but the referee favour Nigerian.


That rojo head to hand ball is not intentional and happened in spilt seconds after that un-clinical idiotic of ighalo malfunction.


It would have be foolish for us as a nation to be happy that we won on penalties

Germany issa Small team

Let's tell we're not playing world cup again.

Stop blaming the VAR, it can't help you do your homework properly.

Look at Ighalo. Even if they put Ayefele in that wing, he would have performed better than Ighalo that night.

You aren't far from the truth my brother,VAR must have been programmed to skew it's decisions in favour of big football nations

Shatap and bow down to your superior MESSI

Mtcheeew see this chinko footballer that was totally useless in the world cup blaming VAR. Was it VAR that made Ighalo to miss a one on one with the keeper? And must you win a match with a penalty?

Oga play well and score goals...leave VAR.
It was not made for favouritism.

Continue to blame VAR.

We had chances but didn't take them. How about we start taking responsibilities for throwing away those chances? What if we had got the penalty and still thrown it away?

The Nigerian senior national team has won only two matches in the last four World Cup participated; yet, the FG has spent {and still spending} billions of naira on this sector more than any other sports sector.

This, to me, is utter wastage of resources. It's like embarking on white elephant projects.

If efforts are not made by FG to improve soccer in the country, it becomes senseless spending hugely on WC tournaments and achieving nothing from it at the end of the day.

Just thinking out loud.

Without VAR you think you can score against Argentina. VAR gave you hope till 85th mins. Nonsense!

Will VAR score goals for you?

Abeg go sit one place. Are you a small country? A whole giant of Africa na by mouth abi?? mtcheeww

If not that you are shameless, other teams are scoring normal goals to qualify, you are there relying of VAR to give penalty in order to qualify.

Even the first penalty given was a soft one, Balogun played into mascherano hand and more smarter to deceive the referee... We are just too emotional!

Var was the reason why ighalo missed that golden chance

Var was the reason why brian idowu was so awful

Var was the reason why mikel couldn't complete a pass

Mmmm

you were there to play excellent footballl and not to look for VAR favour

Its obvious there is so much politics in football. They almost robbbed korea too by saying their goal was offside, if not for their persistence.same with Senegal.when did FIFA start their fair play rule.woyld they have used it against a big name??

No go play better football, dey complain of VAR

Stupid comment.

The refree gave soft pen first, and yet you want a 2ND by all means.

Very to your useless striker who refused to convert simple chances.

Op, there is no way in the conversation that Mikel said VAR favours Big countries. I almost labelled him an ignoramus until I read your post.

Nigeria with more than 180million people is a big country if you ask me. In the current world cup tournament the only small countries are Iceland and Panama with less 5 million people.

Nigeria was not even considered an underdog based on their experience in world cup tournaments and individual experience in intl club football.

It's a misconception VAR favours any country. Nigeria were just poor in the tournament, their best effort was against Iceland.

so Nigeria Na small Team?

blackgold90:
Dear Mikel the penalty awarded in favour of NIgeria is robbery,it is either the corner kick should have been retaking or over looked but the referee favour Nigerian.


That rojo head to hand ball is not intentional and happened in spilt seconds after that un-clinical idiotic of ighalo malfunction.


It would have be foolish for us as a nation to be happy that we won on penalties

U can say dat again.. Dey will overlook d fact n start talking gibberish... Ighalo was our fault den..

Guys bashing Mikel should understand that the Coach should shoulder much of the blame. Ighalo too missed a glorious opportunity to score. He should take part too.


The coach for the Argentines made a couple of changes removing Di Maria and co. How did our coach checkmate those changes? Our defense and midfield were running on tired legs but shouldn't our coach have done something about it?

The VAR issue quite controversial. But I don't think anyone would argue with the ref decision if he awarded another penalty. What's troubling is the people with the opinion that the first penalty given was a robbery. Such inferiority complex should not be applied when you watch soccer. Based on the fact the ref saw the infringement when the cameras showed us watching something else means the ref was unbiased.

Till tomorrow, Fifa is battling racism and they are making laudable progress but these issues will tend to color any decisions reached.

Leave those kind of speculation to fans
Do the playing

YOU blames should go straight to ighalo baby, after wasting the chance he still demanded for penalty

While not lose interest on ball first