Black Stars winger Fatawu Issahaku has said that he did not cause a foul in the incident which was adjudged to be a penalty contributing to a defeat against Côte d'Ivoire in the African Cup of  Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

In the course of the game, Ivorian goalscorer Yalcouye received the ball on the flank and drove into the box before attempting to cut the ball back. However, his attempt to get back to it was foiled as he went down.

Winger Fatawu Issahaku made slight contact with the Brighton player, and referee Mustapha Ghorbal deemed it a foul and awarded a penalty.

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Reacting to this, the Ipswich Town player stated that he was astonished by the decision to award a penalty, as he believes it was flawed.

He explained that although he was tackling to prevent danger, he did not kick Yalcouye under any circumstances, as the referee judged it.

The former Leicester City winger called on authorities to take action to hold such officiating decisions accountable to avoid similar incidents in the future.

“I didn’t go to kick him. I went so he couldn't shoot. I don’t know why the referee made that decision. I think they should do something about it. You can see clearly that I didn’t touch him. Everyone can see what happened on the field because I was the one who went for the tackle. I didn’t go kick him or anything. I don’t know why the referee took the penalty, but I have nothing to say,” Issahaku told the media after the game.
 
Watch the video below:

"I didn't go to kick him. I went so he can't shoot. I don't know why the referee made that decision. I think they should do something about it. You can see clearly that I didn't touch him." - Fatawu Issahaku #3Sports pic.twitter.com/UtH9KEUWXj

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) September 24, 2026