A penalty awarded for a disputed hand ball gave Switzerland a controversial 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on Thursday in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A volley by Xherdan Shakiri struck Corey Evans' shoulder as the Northern Ireland midfielder attempted to block the shot. Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot, sparking angry protests from the Northern Ireland players. Ricardo Rodriguez duly converted the penalty in the 58th minute, putting the Swiss in the driving seat to qualify for their fourth World Cup in a row. Croatia 4, Greece 1Croatia took a decisive step toward World Cup qualification Thursday, overwhelming Greece for a 4-1 victory in the first leg of their playoff.

Source: CBC News November 09, 2017 22:30 UTC