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Monica Jusu Bah: "I'm absolutely not the one who dives"
🇸🇪 Sweden

Monica Jusu Bah: "I'm absolutely not the one who dives"

From Dagens Nyheter · (5d ago) Swedish Mixed tone

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Swedish forward Monica Jusu Bah was controversially booked for simulation despite claiming contact in a penalty box incident.
  • Teammates and the player herself insist she is not a diver and felt contact, believing a penalty should have been awarded.
  • Despite the frustration, Sweden secured a 1-0 victory against Serbia in the World Cup qualifier.

The Swedish women's national football team secured a vital 1-0 victory against Serbia in their World Cup qualifier, but the match was overshadowed by a contentious refereeing decision involving Häcken forward Monica Jusu Bah. The 22-year-old was booked for simulation in the 31st minute after going down in the Serbian penalty area, a decision that has drawn criticism from within the Swedish camp.

I felt contact, and I felt pain in my groin, absolutely people might think I'm diving, but I actually felt pain.

— Monica Jusu BahThe Swedish forward expressing her frustration after being booked for simulation.

Jusu Bah vehemently denies diving, stating, "I felt contact, and I felt pain in my groin, absolutely people might think I'm diving, but I actually felt pain." She expressed her frustration, adding, "I think we absolutely should have gotten a penalty and absolutely not a yellow card for me." Her conviction is echoed by national teammate Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who observed the incident from the bench and stated, "From my perspective, it looked like a clear penalty." She further emphasized Jusu Bah's character, noting, "Monica is not the type of player who goes down or tries to dive."

I think we absolutely should have gotten a penalty and absolutely not a yellow card for me.

— Monica Jusu BahJusu Bah's strong opinion that a penalty should have been awarded instead of a yellow card.

Despite the controversy and Jusu Bah's subsequent substitution, the team managed to secure the win thanks to a goal from Stina Blackstenius. Head coach Tony Gustavsson acknowledged the situation but chose to focus on the result, stating, "Right now, I'm just glad it wasn't match-deciding. I think I'll leave it at that." He also affirmed his belief in Jusu Bah's integrity, adding, "But Monica is a person who would never dive."

From my perspective, it looked like a clear penalty.

— Johanna Rytting KanerydA national teammate supporting Jusu Bah's claim of a penalty.

From a Swedish perspective, this incident highlights the challenges faced by players when refereeing decisions don't align with their on-field experience. While international media might focus on the result and the goal, for Swedish fans and players, the perceived injustice towards Jusu Bah adds a layer of frustration to an otherwise successful qualifying match. The narrative here is one of a player wrongly penalized, impacting not just her record but potentially the team's momentum.

Monica is not the type of player who goes down or tries to dive.

— Johanna Rytting KanerydDefending Jusu Bah's reputation as a fair player.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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