Erling Haaland joined the online debate following Kylian Mbappe's missed penalty in the France-Morocco match, with the Norwegian striker saying Mbappe was made to wait 'too long' before taking his kick. Mbappe scored in France's 2-0 win over Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals, but also missed a penalty after he was made to wait for more than three minutes before taking his kick.
Haaland's Criticism and Mbappe's Response
On Snapchat, via Dagbladet, the Manchester City man shared a picture of Mbappe after the missed penalty on his television with the caption: 'Need to wait 5 min to take a penalty is too long'. Mbappe had to wait over three minutes in total before taking the kick, partially due to a VAR check. Roy Keane slammed the lengthy delay while the officials made their checks, saying: 'Listen it is unfair. Over three minutes… I know these are world-class players but it is unfair because it is a pressure situation. Why does he have to wait three minutes? Time is the enemy for a striker when you're waiting. You're giving the advantage back to the goalkeeper and the team who've conceded the penalty, so it's not right.'
Mbappe's Redemption and France's Victory
Fortunately for Mbappe and France, there was no lasting damage done as the striker plundered a superb curling goal from outside the box to nudge Didier Deschamps' side in front on the hour mark. Ousmane Dembele made their place in the final four safe with a fine run and finish past Yassine Bounou, who was left disappointed after the ball trickled past his outstretched hand. France will now face the winners of Friday evening's tie between Spain and Belgium for a place in next weekend's World Cup final.
