Algeria vs. Qatar Match Did Not Record Longest Stoppage Time in History
The Claim
The Algeria versus Qatar match recorded the longest ever injury time in the history of the football game.
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Social media accounts have recently circulated a piece of news alleging that the Arab Cup 2021’s Algeria versus Qatar semifinal has recorded the longest stoppage time ever in the history of football. The Polish referee Szymon Marciniak added nine minutes of injury time, which was then extended to 18 minutes.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulated claim and found it misleading. The match between Algeria and Qatar in the 2021 Arab Cup semifinals did not record the longest injury time in football history. Instead, previous matches have had longer stoppage times.
In September 2019, a match between Burton and Bournemouth's English teams at the Pirelli Stadium had 28 minutes of injury time added. The added time resulted from three disruptions due to malfunctions in the lighting of the match stadium.
Also, in September 2019, the Premier League in the Gaza Strip witnessed the addition of 42 minutes of stoppage time to a derby match between Shabab Khan Younis and Ittihad Khan Younis local clubs. The match referee added the time due to the stadium lighting blackout.
In August 2008, during a match in the Egyptian Premier League between the teams of Zamalek SC and Al Ittihad Alexandria Club, referee Samir Mahmoud Osman added 20 minutes of overtime. The time was added after a malfunction in one of the stadium lights disrupted about 12 minutes in the match's second half.
In April 2011, the Arsenal versus Liverpool match referee in the English Premier League counted 12 minutes of added time due to the injury of a Liverpool player during the second half of the match.
Earlier reports by The Guardian mentioned a match dating back to the year 2000 between Brentford and Bristol City teams in England, in which 23 minutes of injury time was added only in the first half of the match after a player suffered a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder.
The claim started to circulate after the Polish referee, Szymon Marciniak, sparked controversy when he added 9 minutes of stoppage time, which then extended to over 18 minutes.
Algeria won the match held at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, qualifying for the 2021 Arab Cup to take on Tunisia in the Arab Cup final.
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri
