‘The Ref Asked If I Took It Off And I Said No’ – Cardiff Match-Winner Sol Bamba Dodges Booking Despite Taking Off Shirt During Goal Celebration Against Brighton (Video)

Alan Duffy

10th, November 2018

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Cardiff secured a dramatic win against Brighton on Saturday, with Sol Bamba netting a 90th minute winner for the Bluebirds.

Brighton had taken the lead after just six minutes, courtesy of a header from Lewis Dunk.

In-form attacker Callum Paterson equalised for Cardiff just before the half-hour mark, before Dale Stephens picked up a red card for a lunge on Greg Cunningham.

However, it would take until the dying minutes of the game for Cardiff to make their one-man advantage count, with Bamba scoring after the hosts had hit the frame of the goal twice in a bizarre goalmouth sequence which also saw the defender pull off an on-target bicycle kick.

Not surprisingly, Bamba was rather happy with himself after netting the winner, and proceeded to whip off his shirt in celebration.

This would usually lead to a booking, but instead, referee Martin Atkinson somehow failed to spot the infringement (as did his officials) instead looking to none other than Bamba himself for guidance on the issue.

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The Cardiff man cheekily denied he had taken off his top and so dodged a yellow card.

After the game, Bamba said:

The ref said to me ‘did you take your shirt off?’ I said ‘no I didn’t’.

It was as simple as that! But how on earth did the officials miss it!?

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Bluebirds’ boss Neil Warnock was also a bit confused with the lack of a booking, saying:

I don’t think Martin Atkinson will have done that on purpose, if he didn’t see it that is what linesmen are for isn’t it?.

I did mention to the referee when he warned us before the game about taking your shirt off that I hoped three of my lads got booked for taking off their shirts today, because we don’t score too many goals, do we?

All rather odd.

Brighton boss Chris Hughton, on the other hand, was more annoyed by the fact he thought Bamba was offside for the goal, saying:

I don’t think Sol Bamba looked offside, he was offside!

I understand the sending off, some would give it, some wouldn’t, but on the winning goal he is offside and for me that is not a difficult decision to make.

The result sees Cardiff go 18th, with only goal difference keeping them in the drop-zone for now.

Brighton, on the other hand, go 12th.