A South African legendary referee has weighed in on the controversial last-minute penalty that secured Orlando Pirates’ victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the first Soweto derby of the Betway Premiership season. The former PSL match official shared his perspective, breaking down the rules that supported the decision made by the center referee in the dying moments of the match.
Victor Hlungwani, a former Premier Soccer League referee, gave his expert opinion on the penalty awarded to the Bucs. Bafana Bafana star Patrick Maswanganyi confidently converted the penalty with a Panenka, ensuring his team’s win. However, there was much debate among fans, particularly from the opposition, about whether referee Masixole Bambiso’s decision was correct.
The incident that led to the penalty occurred after Relebohile Mofokeng was impeded by Njabulo Blom. Although the foul initially went unnoticed by the referee, play continued, and Mofokeng’s chance was ultimately wasted. But after consulting the play, Bambiso pointed to the spot, awarding Orlando Pirates the penalty that ultimately sealed the game.
Hlungwani explained in an interview on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified that the referee made the correct call despite initially allowing play to continue. According to Hlungwani, Blom was guilty of holding Mofokeng with two hands, which interfered with the Pirates forward’s ability to have a fair chance at scoring. He emphasized that the decision was in line with the rules, as Blom’s actions clearly hindered Mofokeng from pursuing the ball.
