Honduras accuse Concacaf of helping Mexico to qualify for the 2024 Copa America

Mexico eliminated Honduras in a thrilling penalty shootout as part of the quarterfinals in the 2022-2023 Concacaf Nations League. The match was surrounded by a lot of controversy as the referee, Ivan Barton, added 13 minutes in the second half after previously indicating that he would only give 9.

Honduras had won the first leg in Tegucigalpa with a score of 2-0, and even though they were losing 1-0 at Estadio Azteca, the aggregate score still granted them passage to the semifinals and a direct ticket to the 2024 Copa América.

However, in the 11th minute of stoppage time (90+11′), Edson Alvarez scored a goal with a miraculous shot in the box, making it 2-2 for Mexico and sending the series to extra time. The midfielder of West Ham in the Premier League sparked euphoria among thousands of fans, but the Hondurans couldn’t believe that the referee did not blow the final whistle.

In the end, Mexico secured victory in the penalty shootout in another episode marked by controversy. Cesar Huerta missed his kick twice, but the referee ordered a retake when goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar moved too early. The significant issue for Honduras was that, when Luis Malagon stopped Bryan Rochez’s initial shot, the play was not reviewed.

Edson Alvarez’s goal kept Mexico alive against Honduras (Getty Images).

Honduras allege Concacaf ‘helped’ Mexico to reach 2024 Copa America

At the end of the match, the Vice President of the Honduras Football Federation, Juan Francisco Saybe, lashed out at Concacaf for Ivan Barton’s performance in Mexico City adding 13 minutes.

“Things happened off the field that are not visible. I am clear that it’s a tight game where time is lost, and the referee is well within his right to add time. He adds 9, and they end up playing 13. That is not normal. That is not seen. Anyone who tells me that it’s normal is not true. In the World Cup, they gave eight minutes, and by the eighth minute, they blew the whistle.”

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While the main issue was the added minutes in the second half, Saybe does not forget the penalty shootout in which, from his perspective, the referees and VAR did not apply the same criteria for both teams.

“Today we played 13 minutes, and if the goal hadn’t been scored, we would have played 16. That’s the frustration. Then, in the penalty shootout, he repeats two penalties. There’s a penalty where we have doubts that the Mexican goalkeeper moved early. The television doesn’t even replay that one. So, why?”

Jaime Lozano led Mexico to the 2024 Copa America (Getty Images).

Honduras claim that they were robbed against Mexico

While Saybe did not dare to say that Concacaf set a line to favor Mexico, he did hold referee Ivan Barton and the VAR assistants responsible for everything that happened. Furthermore, he said that another powerful team like Canada also got 12 minutes of stoppage time against Jamaica though they couldn’t make a comeback at Toronto.

“The VAR works for whoever it benefits. It was a shameless act. It was a robbery. I had never seen a robbery like this before. I can tell you what I saw. In the end, I don’t see the justification for the referee to let the game continue. I think we played for about two hours. In my opinion, I feel harmed by the person who repeated the two penalties and the person who allowed the game to continue until Mexico scored their second goal.”

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Honduras might still qualify for 2024 Copa America

Thanks to this result, the Mexican National Team secured direct qualification to the 2024 Copa América, which will take place next year in the United States. In this special edition of the tournament, the 10 teams from Conmebol and 6 more from Concacaf will participate.

Meanwhile, Honduras will have to play in the single-match playoffs in March. According to the FIFA rankings, their opponent will be Costa Rica.