'Only a penalty if the referee says so'

Bengaluru, October 17: It was made out to be a controversial decision. After trailing by a goal for a large part of the game, Bengaluru FC had a rare chance at an equaliser - and a crucial away goal - when winger Udanta Singh paced into the FC Istiklol box on the counter during their AFC Cup Inter-Zonal Final first leg in Dushanbe last month.

While his shot was blocked, captain Sunil Chhetri struck towards goal on the rebound, which BFC says was handled by an Istiklol defender.

Referee Valentin Kovalenko blew the final whistle only seconds later to spark protests from the BFC camp, which felt it was denied a penalty.

Come to think of it, if BFC converted that penalty, the equation ahead of the second leg at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday (October 18) would be different.

Yet, BFC have themselves to blame for not making most of the other chances they had in the game.

At the pre-match presser, coach Albert Roca again reminded everyone that the Blues were victims of that dubious decision, but also said the team has to focus on the job at hand in the second leg.

"I have to remind (you) that in the last moment of the game, the referee denied us a clear penalty," Roca said on Tuesday (October 17). "In the same situation, we had a shot three times on goal and it's a shame that we couldn't convert that. That's football and we have to accept that the result was 1-0."

Istiklol goalkeeper Nikola Stosic, who would have witnessed the handball if it happened, claimed ignorance over the entire incident. "You see, I am just the goalkeeper," he said.

If the referee said no penalty, then I will agree to his decision. The ball didn't cross the line."

Roca urged his boys to move on. "This is a question of attitude," the Spaniard added.

"In a football game, anything can happen. We have to be on fire from the first minute and have to be intelligent in our attacks. The result in the first leg makes it difficult for us tomorrow. I know we don't have the experience, it's true. But we have to grow up."