Club World Cup: Fifa to trial accelerated offside technology at tournament

In the aftermath of the Awoniyi incident, team-mate Ola Aina said the injury “would never have happened” had the assistant referee raised their flag earlier.

The enhanced element of SAO will not work if a player who does not play the ball is offside, or in a crowded situation.

International referees chief Pierluigi Collina said officials therefore need to be “braver” with their offside decisions at the tournament.

“Since the very beginning we have told the assistant referee ‘in case of doubt, keep the flag down’,” said Collina, the Italian former World Cup final referee who is now chairman of Fifa’s referees’ committee.

“If you raise the flag, it kills everything, including the possibility that the VAR can help you.

“But we are aware this has led to some consequences.

“Probably the assistant referees went a bit far. What was a doubt became bigger and bigger and bigger.

“There are possible offside incidents where top assistant referees, as there are in many competitions around the world, would not have this doubt.

“Despite the introduction of this [technology], we have also reminded our assistant referees to be a bit braver and more courageous in putting the flag up when the offside is offside. Two metres offside cannot lead to a doubt.”