Colorado Rapids' Awaziem criticizes referee's decision after early yellow card in win v Charlotte

Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem has expressed his displeasure over the referee’s decision to book him early in Colorado Rapids’ 2-0 win over Charlotte on Saturday.  

Awaziem, who played the entire match, was shown a yellow card in the 10th minute, a decision he believed was unfair.

The Nigerian international insisted that he was initially fouled by Charlotte forward Patrick Agyemang, but the referee failed to notice it.  

Speaking after the game, Awaziem described the referee’s reaction as excessive, stating that he was only trying to stop the attack.  

"I mean the referee over reacted because Agyemang pulled me first and the last man didn't see that they only saw me because I try to stop the attack," he told Colorado Rapids official webpage. 

Despite his frustration, Awaziem maintained his composure throughout the match, ensuring he did not pick up a second booking.  

"I was pretty focus and I didn't let it get into my head. I didn't let it make me to be aggressive on the ball. I was trying to be smart and not get the second yellow," he added.  

Reflecting on the victory, Awaziem emphasized the importance of the win for the team’s morale after a tough week.  

"Yeah, it was a great win. The team, we needed that to build our confidence and everyone put in a good work there to make sure that at home we got the three points," he said.  

He acknowledged that the team had to strategize after their previous match and worked hard in training to execute a better game plan.  

"I mean it wasn't easy for us after last week. We got a lot of thinking going through our heads, what we could do better and we got back to training and we came back with a good strategy," Awaziem explained.  

"We know they are good upfront, we try to contain them as much as possible so let them not have a chance to make them have less chances."

"Our focus was just to try to hold the attack and sustain them as much as possible and don't let them get to our goal."

Following his solid performance, the defender will be hoping to earn a recall to the Super Eagles after missing out on the squad for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Adeyemi Adewale

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