Ugo Njoku whose vicious elbow to Australian midfielder Sam Kerr’s face went unnoticed by the referee faces a three match ban. Kerr tumbled to the pitch and had to be treated for suspected concussion. The outcry following the assault described a one of the most violent in the history of women’s football put pressure on FIFA to act retrospectively. An 8 match ban was widely predicted based on Italian defender Mauro Tasotti’s elbow which broke Spain and present Barcelona coach Luis Enrique’s nose in the 1994 World Cup
Njoku’s assault is not the first in this World Cup. Camile Abily escaped without any booking for her elbow on Laura Bassett during the England vs France match.
Australia went on to beat Nigeria, 2-0 as Kyah Simon struck twice and now just need a draw against Sweden to qualify from the group stage. Kerr is expected to make a full recovery in time for that match.