Keith Hackett hails ‘honest’ Sulemana after Southampton penalty denied vs Fulham
Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has been praised by Keith Hackett after being denied a penalty in his side’s defeat to Fulham.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the Ghana international showed “honesty” after not going to ground following a challenge by Joachim Andersen.
With four games of the season to go, the Saints need one more point to ensure they do not equal Derby’s record for the lowest Premier League points tally ever recorded.
They were denied the chance to get that point when Ryan Sessegnon headed a last-minute winner to give Fulham a 2-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday (26 April).
Things though could have been different had Sulemana taken his chance to win a penalty for the hosts during the first half of that game.
Kamaldeen Sulemana stays on his feet after Joachim Andersen clash
The Saints had taken a 1-0 lead in this match after just 14 minutes, when Jack Stephens headed in from a Ryan Manning free kick.
Just after the half-hour mark, Sulemana then went in search of what could have been an important second goal for Southampton.
But as the winger broke into the penalty, Fulham defender Andersen made clear contact with the body of the 23-year-old without getting anywhere near the ball.
| Southampton last five games | Result |
| Crystal Palace (H) | Drew 1-1 |
| Tottenham (A) | Lost 3-1 |
| Aston Villa (H) | Lost 3-0 |
| West Ham (A) | Drew 1-1 |
| Fulham (H) | Lost 2-1 |
While he stayed on his feet, that contact caused Sulemana to lose his momentum and his shot was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
There were suggestions that had he gone to ground, Southampton would have been awarded a penalty against Andersen.
Last week, West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen was denied a penalty against the Saints after not appealing for a spot kick after being grabbed in the area, with the England star deemed to be an “honest” player.
Now, Hackett has given a similar verdict on Sulemana’s own decision not to go to ground, while also suggesting referee Tony Harrington was correct with his decision.
Southampton star wins praise but not a penalty
After being asked by Football Insider whether Southampton should have had a penalty for that incident, particularly if Sulemana had gone to ground, Hackett said:
“I think the referee’s judged it right. I think when a player in that situation goes to ground, he’s asking a bigger question.
“I think this is where there is that dilemma in the ground. We all know that had he gone to ground, VAR might have come in and said ‘have a look at it’ – may have.
“But I think it’s good to see bit of honesty. Football is a contact sport and I think we want to see a little bit more of that. So I praise the player for his honesty and staying on his feet.”
With Fulham then going on to produce a fightback to earn victory, Marco Silva‘s side remain in the hunt for European qualification this season.