A former captain of the Super Eagles Nwankwo Kanu has said Nigeria wouldn’t have lost the final of the 2000 African Cup of Nations to Cameroon if the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) technology had been introduced.
The Indomitable Lions shocked the Eagles as they beat the co-hosts on penalties in the final, albeit controversial.
A former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba was adjudged to have missed his penalty during the shootout but a replay showed the ball crossed the line, a development that condemned the Eagles to defeat.
However, Kanu, in a media chat in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday said it was a painful experience for the players and took them weeks to get over the disappointment.
“We felt terribly disappointed just as our people who believed we could do it. We were playing at home, in the final and to have lost in that manner was disappointing for us. It could have been another situation if we had the VAR back then. That goal would have stood and maybe beat Cameroon at the end of the day. Thank God, the technology has made officiating more efficient and cleaner now,” he said.
