WATCH: Richard Ofori’s yellow card divides opinion after handling the ball out of the box

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WATCH: Richard Ofori’s yellow card divides opinion after handling the ball out of the box
Richard Ofori wanted by DStv Premiership after Orlando Pirates exit. Photo: Icon Sports

A decision which saw AmaZulu goalkeeper Richard Ofori handle the ball out of his area and receive a yellow card has divided opinion.

AmaZulu were the latest victims of Casric Stars’ giant killing instincts when they were eliminated from the Nedbank Cup with Bucs Mthombeni’s Motsepe Foundation Championship side making it to the semi-final.

AmaZulu vs Casric Stars.
AmaZulu vs Casric Stars. Photo – AmaZulu

Casric Stars arrived in Duran high on confidence, having knocked Orlando Pirates out of the competition’s Round of 16, and took the lead after 12 minutes through Mfundo Thikazi.

Was Ofori lucky to receive a yellow?

AmaZulu suffered a further setback when goalkeeper Darren Johnson picked up an injury with Ofori coming on to replace him but there were no further goals in the first half.

After the break, Usuthu drew level through Hendrick Ekstein and had a chance to go ahead when Tebogo Mashigo missed a great opportunity just past the hour mark.

Casric kept probing and could have punished AmaZulu on the break but Ofori came out of his area and saved the ball. That moment of controversy saw the goalkeeper shown a yellow card when most expected a red as he was way out of his area when he handled the ball.

Controversial decision divides opinion

The game went into extra time where Decide Chauke struck in the 115th minute to hand Casric Stars a 2-1 lead, which they held onto to make it to the semi-final, making sure their fairytale run continued.

Richard Ofori on how he lost starting place at Orlando Pirates
Richard Ofori – Picture courtesy of Instagram/@rich.ofori

However, that moment of controversy dominated conversations after the match with opinion divided over whether Ofori should have been sent off or not.

Some claimed the AmaZulu goalkeeper did not deny Casric Stars a goalscoring opportunity and so a yellow card and freekick were enough but others felt he should have received his marching orders. 

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

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