England's Under-15s rushed to protect the referee after Bolivia reacted furiously to a controversial penalty decision in their World Cup clash. The incident came after the Young Lions claimed a 3-2 victory, with their South American opponents refusing to face the last-minute spot kick.
Controversial penalty sparks chaos
The referee, who immediately blew the full-time whistle, came under attack, with England players rushing to his defence. He had deemed a foul on West Ham's Emmanuel Famokun to have been in the box.
The Bolivian players and staff were adamant that contact had been made outside the area, with the referee surrounded and one coach marching onto the pitch to point at where the foul had occurred. Multiple cards were issued but the decision stood.
Uncontested goal and aftermath
As a result, the Bolivian goalkeeper leaned against his right-hand post and let the penalty go in uncontested. England's players celebrated regardless, while the Bolivians once again directed their frustrations at the match official.
They sarcastically clapped before one made a beeline towards the referee, prompting England players to run back and attempt to break up the skirmish. The referee brandished a red card to the substitute who had tried to attack him before he was escorted away as tensions boiled over between the two sides.
Context of the tournament
It comes days after the U15s walked off the pitch against the Republic of Ireland due to an allegation of racist abuse. The match was abandoned with Ireland leading 4-1 at the time after an England player accused one of the opposition of a discriminatory comment.
The FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival is a new tournament founded this year as part of the international governing body's commitment to promote youth football. Azerbaijan have been hosting the inaugural event, which started on October 22 and concludes on Saturday, October 31.
Over 3,000 players from 189 FIFA member nations have been involved, with 8-a-side matches and 20-minute halves. England have beaten Nicaragua, Montenegro, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, El Salvador and Georgia, while they've suffered defeat against Zambia and Turkey.
