The decision triggered strong protests from the Indian Army bench, with head coach Antony Ramesh expressing his frustration over what he considered a clear penalty.
“We are not asking for any favour; we are only asking for a fair game. If a decision is to be made, it should be the right decision for both sides. I’m not saying it was a 99% or 80% penalty—it was 100% a penalty, and that is what we expect.When you are losing a match, frustration is natural. But in this case, the incident happened very close to me. I saw it clearly and appealed immediately. There was no crowd around the situation; it was a one-on-one moment, and the referee was also very close to the incident. For me, it was a clear penalty. I don’t know if the fact that it was East Bengal influenced the decision, but that is something I cannot explain.”-Ramesh added.
However, the late penalty appeal has shifted much of the post-match discussion away from East Bengal’s defensive resilience and towards the quality and accountability of officiating.
The controversy has once again raised questions about whether high-stakes matches in Indian football should have access to VAR, particularly in decisive moments inside the penalty area where a single refereeing call can determine the outcome of a tournament.
For Indian Army, the frustration was compounded by the timing of the decision and the fact that the match offered little margin for recovery.
