Izuchukwu Okosi
Portuguese side, Benfica and Argentina’s Boca Juniors, played out a 2-2 draw in the second Group C game of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the early hours of Tuesday (Monday night in the United States) reports Prime Business Africa.
Boca Juniors were 2-0 up in the first 27 minutes of the high octane game with goals scored by Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAngel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi equalised for the Portuguese giants Benfica.
The game was a feisty one as both clubs were reduced to 10 men each as tempers flared in a heated clash at Hard Rock Stadium.
Andrea Belotti (Benfica) and Boca’s Jorgi Figal were sent off.
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With a quarter of the game, Benfica were reduced to 10 men when former Torino striker, Belotti, connected with a high boot to the back of the head of a Boca Juniors’ player.
Despite pleading his innocence, the challenge was deemed reckless and he was sent off by the referee.
The referee had given the former Italy international a yellow card but after the review from the TV monitor following a VAR review, it was upgraded to a red card.
The other on-field red card was issued to Boca’s Jorgi Figal for his reckless challenge on the touchline in front of a group of Benfica players warming up.
Former Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera was sent off on the substitute bench for grappling the neck of a match official.
The 35-year-old was seething on the bench after coming off injured for what he perceived was an injustice in the officiating of the referee.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
