Veteran PSL referee Victor Hlungwani agrees with Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi that some of the refereeing decisions during his team’s 2-0 loss to Polokwane City were not correct.
Chiefs suffered the setback at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday but Nabi left with a bitter taste in the mouth after some decisions that he believed went against his team.
Nabi questioned why Thabang Matuludi was not punished for injuring left-back Brandley Cross while he also felt that Chiefs deserved two penalties, calls that referee Eugene Mdluli did not make.
However, while speaking to Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube, Hlungwani agreed that the Glamour Boys should have at least got two of the three decisions that Nabi complained about.
“The way Matuludi went on Cross, it was more of a reckless tackle and boot-to-boot,” said Hlungwani.
“So, when it’s boot-to-boot reckless tackle, the player must be cautioned. So, in this case, the player was not cautioned.
Matuludi should have been punished
“Referee did not see it as reckless but when you sit on the footage, you can say it almost went to excessive force. The only thing that survived him is that boot-to-boot.
“If it was above the ankle, a serious foul play will have come in because now he endangers the safety of an opponent.
“But he acted with disregard for which yellow cards would have come out. That’s the first one, so, Nabi there has a case.”
The other contentious decision was Chiefs’ penalty appeal after Tebogo Potsane was fouled by Bulelani Nikani.
“The second one is on the 53rd minute. There is a penalty appeal where Nikani made a challenge on [Tebogo] Potsane,” he added.
“If you look at that, the challenge, and you look at the ball, did the ball change direction? Did Nikani touch the ball? If the answer is yes, then there’s no penalty. If he did not get the ball and he got the man, then yes there is a penalty.
Did Mdu Shabalala dive? Hlungwani weighs in
“So, when I looked at it, I saw Nikani getting the ball and the ball changed direction. So, Nabi does not have a case on this one.
Hlungwani, however, agrees that Mduduzi Shabalala should have been cautioned for simulation late in the game.
“The next one is Shabalala Mdu got a yellow card for simulation on the 76th minute,” said “The Principal.”
“There was a challenge, late challenge where Mdu went to the ball, quickly got the ball and then he was kicked. And when he was kicked, the referee deemed is as simulation. Only to find when we do slow-mo you can see that indeed the player was kicked.
“So, to be kicked and get a yellow card, the law does not support. So, the player [Shabalala] was not supposed to have received a yellow card. He was supposed to get a free-kick for him.
“So, now he was kicked and even got a yellow card, I think that’s where coach Nabi felt that the referee could’ve done better.”
