England U15s World Cup Campaign Plagued by Controversy After Uncontested Penalty

England's Under-15 World Cup campaign has been thrown into further disarray following a controversial 1-0 victory against Bolivia, which was decided by an uncontested penalty awarded in the dying moments of the match.

Penalty Incident and Protest

The decisive moment came in the 41st minute when England's Emmanuel Famokun was awarded a penalty, though contact appeared to occur outside the box. This decision sparked immediate and intense protests from the Bolivian players and coaching staff, leading to multiple cards being issued by the referee to members of the Bolivian backroom.

In an extraordinary turn of events, the Bolivian team chose not to defend the penalty. Their players moved away from the goal, gathering by the touchline, while their goalkeeper stood at the right post. Famokun then calmly rolled the ball into the opposite corner of the net, which remained uncontested.

The final whistle blew immediately after the goal, and the situation escalated. Bolivian players sarcastically applauded the official. One substitute was reportedly sent off for attempting to confront the referee, and skirmishes broke out between the two sets of players, necessitating intervention from FIFA officials.

Echoes of Previous Controversies

This incident bears resemblance to a controversial penalty awarded in the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier in the year, where Morocco was given a late spot-kick against Senegal. Senegalese players protested by walking off the pitch, and though the game eventually resumed, Morocco's penalty was saved, and Senegal went on to win. However, the African federation subsequently stripped Senegal of the title, a decision that remains under dispute at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Prior Incident at the Tournament

This latest controversy follows another disruption to England's tournament just days earlier. Their match against Ireland was halted when an England player accused an opponent of racial abuse. The alleged incident, described as a 'monkey' comment, occurred shortly after the player pushed his opponent. England manager Matt Thorpe subsequently withdrew his players from the pitch in the 40th minute after discussions with officials.

FIFA and the FA have been contacted for comment on the latest incident.