Livid: Peru were controversially denied a last-gasp equaliser against Uruguay
(Picture: Pool via REUTERS)Peru striker Paolo Guerrero has slammed the South American football authorities and accused them of taking away their World Cup qualification after they were controversially denied a late equaliser against Uruguay.
Peru were 1-0 down in injury time in their key qualifier in Montevideo on Thursday night when Miguel Trauco’s looping shot was held on the line by Uruguayan ‘keeper Sergio Rochet, who then took a step backwards into his goal while holding the ball at arm's length.
The Brazilian referee ruled the whole of the ball had not crossed the line and did not review the incident with the video assistant referee (VAR).
"With all due respect to CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation), the referees and everyone belonging to the VAR, this is not fair," Guerrero wrote on Instagram.
"It's unacceptable. I hope they do something because (we) played very well and everyone knows it. I hope the person responsible appears. They would be taking away our qualification for the World Cup.”
Defender Alexander Callens said Peru had been "robbed".
"I told (the referee) to check and he said he had. But everyone said it is a goal and I've seen the images. It's a goal, completely," he said.
"Go and look at the VAR. You have to take a look. A game of this magnitude."
Despite the controversial defeat by Uruguay, Peru are not out of the running for a place in Qatar. If they beat Paraguay in their final game on Tuesday they will go into a play-off with a team from the Asian Confederation.
Colombia and Chile are also in the hunt for the play-off berth should Peru slip up. Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador have all secured their qualification from South America.
