Erling Haaland was the star of the show once again, scoring a brilliant hat-trick as Norway crushed Israel 5–0 on Saturday night.
The Manchester City striker, often hailed as one of the best in the world, continued his incredible form with three goals at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion.
Source: Getty Images
Israel endured a miserable evening, with defenders Idan Nachmias and Anan Khalaili both scoring own goals to compound their team’s struggles.
The emphatic win kept Norway’s perfect record intact, as they maintained top spot in Group I with six straight victories.
However, the result was overshadowed by controversy after Norway displayed a message before kickoff that could see them punished by FIFA.
The gesture was reportedly linked to political tensions, prompting concerns that it breached FIFA’s rules on political statements in football.
While fans celebrated the dominant performance, Norway now face the possibility of sanctions despite their commanding lead in the group.
Norway Could Face FIFA Punishment
Of the nations that have been vocal about Israel being able to perform at the highest level, Norway have always been at the front and centre of the movement.
The side from Scandinavia, with political tensions overshadowing the fixture, announced they would donate profits from their previous clash to a “humanitarian cause” in Gaza.
This time around – months after their first meeting, which finished 4-2 with Haaland scoring just once – supporters of Solbakken’s men sent a clear message to FIFA.
Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian protestors combined forces ahead of kick-off at the Oslo Stadium to wave their flags and chant against Israel.
Alongside that, sections of the Norway fans booed during “Hatikvah” – the Israeli national anthem – and displayed Palestinian flags in the home stands.
Later in the five-goal drubbing, a pitch invader sporting a “Free Gaza” T-shirt was detained by security for safety reasons – but the message was clear: the Norwegians are not in favour of Israel, a nation managed by Ran Ben Shimon, being able to compete in footballing competition, most notably the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA’s set-in-stone regulations, however, state that “political, ideological, offensive or discriminatory slogans, banners, symbols or acts” are not permitted inside stadiums. With the score settled at 5-0 and with five minutes left on the clock, the fans could be heard chanting “Free Palestine”.
Source: Getty Images
As a result, Norway could be punished with a hefty fine, stadium closures or even match forfeits in the most extreme cases.
In the past, on two separate occasions, Serbia have been fined for their use of political chants and banners.
Ahead of the five-goal showing in Oslo, The Telegraph reported that supporters of the home side had staged a march which began with a gathering outside the Norwegian parliament.
Across hours of protesting, they made their way to the national stadium and a reduced number of fans were allowed in.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
