Berlin: Japan should have been awarded a penalty in the second half of Monday’s 3-1 World Cup loss to Australia, a top Fifa official said on Wednesday.

Asked why there had been no penalties in the tournament’s first 14 matches, Fifa communications director Markus Siegler told a news conference that the Japan-Australia match was the only one in which a penalty should have been given.

“I think there were no situations for penalties. We saw one, but it was a clear mistake of the referee. I would not be credible if I didn’t say a mistake was made there,” he said.

Siegler was referring to a second-half incident where Australia’s substitute Tim Cahill clipped the legs of Japan midfielder Yuichi Komano as he headed for goal.

The score was 1-1 at the time of the incident.

Cahill, who had already received a yellow card for clattering into Komano, put Australia ahead with a powerful shot off the inside of the post minutes later.