Texas, June 30 -- Didier Drogba has criticised the officiating after Ivory Coast's FIFA World Cup exit, saying his team were denied a clear penalty in the second half of their 2-1 Round of 32 defeat to Norway.

The former Ivory Coast striker questioned the use of VAR after Nicolas Pepe's appeals were rejected, with the decision emerging as one of the key talking points of the knockout match.

His comments followed an incident midway through the second half when Nicolas Pepe appeared to be brought down inside the Norway penalty area. Despite strong appeals from Ivory Coast players, neither the referee nor the Video Assistant Referee awarded a penalty, allowing play to continue and leaving the Elephants frustrated.

"Disgraceful, that penal...