A refereeing expert has provided a definitive analysis of the controversial penalty decision that decided the Saudi Pro League clash between Al-Ittihad and Al-Wehda on Friday, March 1, 2024.
The match, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Al-Ittihad, was settled by a 90th-minute penalty converted by Karim Benzema. The spot-kick was awarded after a VAR review for a challenge by Al-Wehda’s Óscar Duarte on Al-Ittihad’s Marwan Al-Sahafi inside the box.
In a televised segment, former international referee Abdullah Al-Harbi examined the incident. He confirmed that the on-field referee, Srdjan Jovanović, initially allowed play to continue as Duarte made contact with the ball. However, the Video Assistant Referee intervened, prompting Jovanović to review the footage on the pitchside monitor.
“The referee’s initial decision was to play on, as the defender touched the ball,” Al-Harbi stated. “But after the VAR review, he went to the monitor and saw that the defender’s foot, after playing the ball, followed through and made clear contact with the attacker’s leg, causing him to fall. This constitutes a foul punishable by a penalty kick.”
Al-Harbi emphasized that the correct procedure was followed. “The referee changed his decision based on clear and obvious evidence from the monitor. This is exactly why the VAR system exists—to correct clear errors in match-changing situations. The final decision to award the penalty was correct according to the Laws of the Game.”
The expert’s analysis aimed to settle the post-match debate, confirming that the technology was applied properly to identify a foul that was missed in real time, ultimately leading to Al-Ittihad’s dramatic late winner.
