Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has insisted both calls for Kaizer Chiefs by referee Mkwanazi Tshidiso were right despite the fury of Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker after the game.
Barker was visibly upset about the performance of the match official in his side’s 2-1 defeat at FNB Stadium on Saturday, calling it “one of the worst referee performances” he’s experienced.
However, despite Barker’s fury after the match, Ncobo, who now works as the General Manager of the Premier Soccer League, has insisted Tshidiso was correct to call for a penalty on Ashley Du Preez inside 10 minutes and also to send Sage Stephens off a few minutes later.
“Straight red because [he was] denying a goalscoring opportunity,” he said on Extra Time.
“When you deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity the referee – not because he hates you or anything – is obligated by the laws of the game to show a red card.
“The ball is going goal wards, the ball is prevented from going goal wards via an infringement. The goalkeeper, even though he’s allowed to play with his hand, is not allowed to do so outside the penalty area.
“When he handles the ball outside the penalty area – a ball that is obviously goal-bound and no defender is in close proximity that could’ve covered there, there is no offside, no infringement that takes place before and he [Du Preez] kicks the ball goal wards.
“What does the goalkeeper do? He handles the ball outside his box. Are there any defenders that could’ve covered the goalkeeper? No. Was there another opportunity for the attacker to regain possession of the ball? Yes.
“Red card offence. Spot on decision by the referee.”
Ncobo then discussed the penalty incident, saying Olwethu Makhanya made a mistake by tripping Du Preez, while the referee made the right call.
“You understand coaches, because they comment immediately after the match without the benefit that we have of looking at different camera angles and all of that,” he stated.
“There is nothing else that could’ve brought down that player except contact. Where there is contact there is contact.
“The coach makes comments perhaps out of fury because he thinks the decision is given against him unfairly.
“[But] where there is contact there is contact and if the referee is correctly positioned, as was the case, he saw the contact.
“The defender came in quite late, caught the foot, tripped the player – a player, by the way, who was moving away from goal, could’ve been shepherd nicely instead of committing the foul.”
