France appeal Olise’s yellow card ahead of Morocco clash

NEW YORK: France has made an appeal to Fifa, asking the organisation to rescind the yellow card handed out to forward Michael Olise for a confrontation with Paraguay midfielder Matias Galarza during a round of 16 match on Saturday, The Athletic reported Monday.

Olise was booked after a tense exchange that ended with Galarza going to the ground while holding his face. Television replays showed that Olise grabbed Galarza’s jersey but did not make contact to the head area.

France is set to face Morocco in a quarterfinal match on Thursday at Foxborough, Mass. If Olise is handed another yellow card in that match, he would not be eligible to play in next week in the semifinals, should France advance.

The United States made a successful appeal over a red card handed out to forward Folarin Balogun in a round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. Fifa’s controversial decision will allow Balogun to play for the US in Monday’s round of 16 match against Belgium.

According to the report, France’s decision to appeal the yellow card for Olise was not inspired by the United States’ successful Balogun appeal.