The decision to award Mexico a penalty late in their Gold Cup semi-final win over Panama was a wrong one, CONCACAF have admitted but the body won't reverse the decision.
CONCACAF have admitted errors were made in Mexico's controversial semi-final win over Panama in the Gold Cup. American referee Mark Geiger's decision to award Miguel Herrera's side a penalty in the 89th-minute was met with a temporary walk-off protest from Panama's players.
Following the match, Costa Rica - denied by a dubious penalty call in the quarter-finals against Mexico - joined forces with Panama to lobby FIFA and CONCACAF to investigate whether any match-fixing had taken place.
Interim CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit confirmed meetings were held with Geiger, who accepted his penalty decision was a mistake.
"We met with both the Referee Department leadership and referee Mark Geiger," Hawit's statement read.
"Mr Geiger, one of the best regarded referees in the region with vast international experience and a proven track record, accepted that officiating errors had been made during Wednesday's match and that these impacted the outcome of the game.
"We at CONCACAF regret these circumstances but accept that such human errors are part of the game."
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