Matuidi's foul worse than Suarez's bite says Maradona

Argentina legend, Diego Maradona, has described as "criminal" Blaise Matuidi's tackle challenge on Nigerian midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi in Monday's round of 16 clash at the Fifa World Cup between France and Nigeria in Brasilia.

Maradona, working a pundit for the World Cup with Venezuelan television, Telesur TV, hit out at the American referee, Mark Geiger, for not considering Matuidi's "tackle as a criminal act."

He went on to state that the Frenchman's challenge on Onazi is worse than Luis Suarez's bite on Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini.

"It is impossible that the referee did not see the tackle as a criminal act. It is even worse than what Suarez has done [to Chiellini]," Maradona said during the Venezuelan television show.

Stephen Keshi: World Cup elimination painful, calls for unity in defeat

Braslia - Stephen Keshi said that his side's World Cup elimination by France in the last 16 was "painful", but vowed that he would not seek out scapegoats.

Bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, Nigeria stood toe to toe with France for much of Monday's match at Brasilia's Mane Garrincha National Stadium, only to lose to two late goals.

A handling error by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama enabled Paul Pogba to head in a 79th-minute opener and France completed victory in injury time when Joseph Yobo scored an own goal from a Mathieu Valbuena cross.

While both French goals stemmed from Nigerian mistakes, Keshi was adamant that all of his players bore equal responsibility for the African champions' exit.