Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan saw a yellow card in the first half of FC Goa’s match against Odisha FC at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday. While cards are no stranger for Jhingan, the handball for which the defender received the card raised eyebrows. It seemed like Sandesh Jhingan was trying to score a deliberate goal with his left hand, very much similar to Diego Maradona’s ‘famous ‘hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Odisha FC started the match on the front foot and scored through Mourtada Fall in the sixth minute. The Senegalese scored a well-placed goal with a right footed shot from the centre of the box The ball landed at the top right corner, resulting in agony for Sandesh Jhingan and co.
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FC Goa pushed hard to draw level, but their finishing let them down on several occasions. During one such attempt, the Gaurs won a corner. The corner was cleared by the Odisha FC defence but the ball landed on the feet of Udanta Singh. The winger put in a delightful ball from the edge of the box. Sandesh Jhingan, who had arrived at the box before the corner, rose to meet the cross.
But in a peculiar way, the senior India footballer put up his left hand in front of his head and apparently tried to punch the ball with his hand, just like Maradona in 1986. However, Maradona’s goal wasn’t replicated as the ball brushed off the defender’s hand and went out for a goal-kick. In another dissimilarity, the referee noticed the infringement and took no time in booking Jhingan.
The move sparked reactions from ISL enthusiasts with most of them likening Sandesh Jhingan’s attempt to Maradona’s goal against England.
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