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Fans slam officials amid penalty fury in first half of Belgium’s clash with Canada

The first half of Belgium vs Canada was littered with controversy

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Fans have taken to social media to voice their frustrations with the officiating during the first half of Belgium’s World Cup group E clash with Canada after the visitors were denied two penalties in the opening 45 minutes.

Canada, at their first World Cup since 1986, began the game in the ascendency, and were handed a penalty when Yannick Carassco handled inside the box, only for Alphonso Davies to see his effort saved by Thibaut Courtois.

However, the North American side continued to dominate the first half, and were denied two further penalties before Michy Batshuayi handed Belgium the lead with their first meaningful effort on target.

Firstly, in the 13th minute, an Eden Hazard pass was latched onto by a Canadian forward, only to be felled by Jan Vertonghen. However, the linesman waved for offside, despite the ball having come back from a Belgian forward and therefore playing Canada onside.

Then, in the 38th minute, Richie Laryea was brought down by Axel Witsel inside the area. The referee opted not to make a decision, instead looking to his linesman, who was unmoved. Afterwards, VAR deemed it not enough to overturn, sparking fury on social media.

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Ben Browning

Football writer and analyst. Long-time writer of all things Arsenal and avid watcher of European football. Happy to discuss all things football over on Twitter.

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