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Bwalya questions 'harsh' Perez red card against West Ham
The African football great feels the Spaniard’s challenge wasn’t as bad to have warranted dismissal against David Moyes’ men
Zambia football legend Kalusha Bwalya is adamant Ayoze Perez should not have been shown a red card for his challenge on Pablo Fornals during Leicester City’s 4-1 defeat by West Ham United on Monday.
Seven minutes before the half-time break, the former Spain youth international launched a late challenge on his compatriot, and as a result, he was given the marching orders by referee Michael Oliver after a VAR review.
With the Foxes reduced to 10 men, they struggled to impress and returned home with heads bowed low.
Unhappy with Oliver’s decision, the 1988 African Player of the Year went on social media to question former Fifa referee Jerome Damon on the validation for sending off the 28-year-old.
“No, how can that be a red card? Jerome Damon, he didn’t even know where to put his feet. Very harsh,” the former Cercle Brugge and PSV Eindhoven star queried on Twitter.
In his response, Damon educated the Zambian great on what Fifa’s Laws of the Game demands as it concerns Perez’s dismissal.
“Just saw it fleetingly now…full weight on to the ankle of an opponent. Ankle goes over, with no attempt to lessen the contact. Red card justified. Law 12: endangers of an opponent,” the South African replied.
On his 274th appearance in English football, Perez has now been shown a red card for the first time since he began his professional career in 2011 at Spanish outfit Tenerife.
Benefitting from the visitors’ numerical disadvantage, Moyes’ side doubled their advantage in the 56th courtesy of Algeria international Said Benrahma who was teed up by Michail Antonio.
Caglar Soyuncu misjudged Kasper Schmeichel's positioning for a pass back and hands the ball straight to Antonio.
The angle was too tight for the Englishman to shoot, instead, he found the African star who rolled the ball into an empty net.
Not willing to go down without a fight, the reigning English FA Cup kings pulled one goal back through Youri Tielemans in the 69th minute.
Lifted by that, West Ham sealed victory courtesy of goals a late brace by Antonio.
Leicester would be hoping to bounce back from this defeat when they travel to Norwich City on August 28.
