West Ham ‘submit FIFA complaint’ after Leeds United FA Cup controversy…

West Ham have allegedly filed a complaint with FIFA following the controversy surrounding Leeds United in the FA Cup.

The Hammers reportedly took action regarding the absence of defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka during the match against Leeds United.

Leeds visited the London Stadium for a crucial FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday, ultimately triumphing 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw. Daniel Farke’s team was ahead by two goals as the match entered added time, but a late double from West Ham forced the game into extra time.

After a scoreless extra period, both Joel Piroe and Jarrod Bowen missed their penalties, while Leeds’ Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Willy Gnonto, and Pascal Struijk successfully converted theirs. Struijk’s decisive shot off the post secured the win, with Lucas Perri denying Pablo Felipe’s attempt earlier.

Both managers, Daniel Farke and Nuno Espirito Santo, made several adjustments to their line-ups on Sunday, but for Santo, one change was unavoidable—not due to injury. Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was absent from the London Stadium as he was in DR Congo celebrating World Cup qualification.

Wan-Bissaka played the entire 90 minutes as his team defeated Jamaica in an international World Cup play-off on Tuesday before returning to DR Congo for a celebratory parade with his teammates and President Felix Tshisekedi. The Athletic now reports that West Ham claims the African nation did not permit his timely departure for the FA Cup match.

This season, Wan-Bissaka has been one of West Ham’s most reliable defensive players, starting 21 Premier League matches, including the last 10 consecutively. On Sunday, Kyle Walker-Peters filled in for him, struggling against Noah Okafor but successfully converting his penalty in the shootout.

Leeds’ victory has set up a semi-final match against Chelsea, marking the first time in 39 years that a Whites team has reached this stage of the competition. The match at Wembley is scheduled for the weekend of April 25/26, with a previously planned trip to Bournemouth already rescheduled.

Leeds is set to travel to the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday, April 22, with the match starting at 8 PM and being aired live on Sky Sports. Their semi-final rivals, Chelsea, have a shorter trip to the south coast and enjoy a 24-hour head start as they take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday, April 21.