Bristol City head coach Michael Skubala has insisted that Super Eagles goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo should have been sent off during the first half of their 1-1 draw against Charlton at The Valley in London.
Okonkwo, who returned to goal after international duty with the Super Eagles, denied Yu Hirakawa a scoring opportunity in the first half.
The Nigeria international rushed off his line following a defensive error and made himself big to block Hirakawa’s effort.
Hirakawa went down inside the penalty area following a collision with Okonkwo and appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved away the claims.
Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, Skubala expressed his disappointment with the decision, arguing that the Nigerian goalkeeper should have been punished.
"I think by the laws of the game, when the keeper brings down a player outside the box, it's a red card,” Skubala said.
However, the Bristol City manager argued that the challenge occurred outside the penalty area and should have resulted in a free kick rather than a penalty.
“It looked like there was contact, it looked like it was a foul. Yeah, it looked like a free-kick and a red card,” he added.
Okonkwo, who delivered a decent performance in front of the home supporters, will be disappointed with the outcome of the encounter.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper made two successful saves to help Charlton avoid defeat following his return to club football.
Adeyemi Adewale
Discussions (0)