Ex-referee praises Southampton star for surprising decision fans hated | OneFootball

Southampton star Kamaldeen Sulemana has made 13 starts in the Premier League this season. While he would have hoped for more, it's equally not a tally he can turn his nose up to. The Ghana international has made some nice involvements this season, including a goal in the FA Cup and Premier League.

However, he isn't the most popular figure among Southampton fans after the recent loss against Fulham. The game was largely in Southampton's control as they were in the lead for the majority, before conceding two late goals and dropping all three points.

So, it's safe to say that no Southampton player should have gone home with a smile on their face. However, Sulemana in particular had a moment where he might have made an impact on the match.

Ex-referee applauds Southampton star for surprising decision fans hated

The hybrid midfielder/attacker was challenged by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen, but didn't go to the ground. Instead, he stayed on his feet, despite his body being contacted by Andersen. Typically, we would see players go to the ground for this to attempt a penalty claim, rightly or wrongly.

However, Sulemana stayed on his feet, meaning Southampton did not receive a penalty. It is hard to say whether Southampton would have been awarded the penalty if he had gone to ground, but there was certainly contact between the two players in the box.

So, Southampton fans were not best pleased with Sulemana. However, the Ghana international did receive praise from a former Premier League and FIFA official, Keith Hackett.

Speaking to Fooball Insider, Paul Hackett applauded Sulemana by saying: “But I think it’s good to see bit of honesty. Football is a contact sport and I think we want to see a little bit more of that. So I praise the player for his honesty and staying on his feet.”

Look, the penalty might not have amounted to much. And, fans are always pleading for more honesty from players when it goes against them. However, we're not here to take the moral high ground, if it's worked against Southampton, then we might as well make it FOR us.