AFCON 2025: ‘It crossed the line’ – Ighalo slams CAF over Calvin Bassey’s disallowed goal

Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has said that Calvin Bassey’s first-half attempt against Algeria in the quarter-final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco was a goal.

The former Nigeria attacker hit out at the Confederation of African Football, CAF, for its failure to introduce the goal line technology in African football.

There is no goal line technology in the Africa Cup of Nations despite calls for the installation of such an important technology in African football.

Fifa rule states that the ball must cross the goal line to be ruled as goal.

Replays show that almost all parts of the ball have crossed the line but the Senegalese referee’s on-field decision was upheld by the VAR thereby denying Nigeria what would have been the first goal.

The Super Eagles dominated the first half of the game and missed some golden opportunities to take the lead in the first forty-five minute.

Speaking on SuperSport, Ighalo, who was a member of the Super Eagles team when they were beaten by Algeria in AFCON semifinal 2019, said, “It was a goal with an inch. For me, I think this is a goal with an inch. And in a tournament like this, this is the only tournament in the world, in Europe cup, they have a good line technology in a World Cup and all that.

“But this is the biggest tournament in Africa. We should have goal line technology. For me, I think this is a goal with an inch. I think the whole circumference of the ball has to cross the line.”

At the time of filing this story, Nigeria were already 2-0 up against the Desert Warriors of Algeria with goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams.

AFCON 2025: ‘It crossed the line’ – Ighalo slams CAF over Calvin Bassey’s disallowed goal