Tounekti Critiques ‘Crazy’ Decision To Disallow Celtic Equaliser In Europa League Defeat

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Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti expressed disbelief over the decision to disallow Kelechi Iheanacho's goal during their 2-0 loss to Braga. The match saw Celtic, managed by Brendan Rodgers, earn just one point from their first two Europa League matches. Iheanacho's potential equaliser was ruled out for handball early in the second half, leaving the Nigerian striker confused.

Iheanacho insisted, "The ball didn't hit my hand, and that changed the game," with replays supporting his claim. This controversial decision seemed to shift the game's momentum at Celtic Park. Tounekti remarked, "It was never a handball, it's crazy that the referee disallowed that." He added that after reviewing the video and discussing it with Iheanacho, he was curious about what VAR observed.

Rodgers commented on the incident, stating, "There's absolutely no way, whatever way you look at it, [Iheanacho] has touched it [with his hand]. That's a huge moment in the game." The disallowed goal left Celtic struggling to recover as they later conceded another goal. Ricardo Horta had already put Braga ahead with a stunning first-half strike.

This defeat highlights Celtic's ongoing challenges this season. They have failed to score in five of their 12 matches across all competitions so far. This is as many times as they went goalless in their entire 57-game campaign last season. It's also their fastest run of five goalless games since the 1991-92 season when they reached this mark in just 12 matches.

Tounekti believes if Iheanacho's goal had stood, they would have won the game without a doubt. He stated confidently, "I think if that goal stood we would win the game 100%." Despite these setbacks, Celtic will need to regroup and focus on improving their performance in upcoming fixtures.