Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has explained why Ronwen Williams wasn’t sent off in Mamelodi Sundowns’ goalless draw with Golden Arrows last week.
Williams received a yellow card for a foul on Knox Mutizwa just before the break, with many onlookers suggesting the Bafana Bafana goalkeeper should’ve been sent off.
However, Ncobo explained that the fact that Mutizwa didn’t run straight at goal and Khuliso Mudau being in close proximity rightfully led to the yellow card and not a sending off.
“The referee shows a yellow to Ronwen, correctly so, in my opinion,” he said on Extra-Time.
“The direction is not directly towards goal. But also look at the closest defender [Mudau] to the action, he’s in line with the ball, he’s not behind play.
“So the referee would’ve looked at those variables and said ‘there is no opportunity that is obvious for the opposition player to go on and score a goal’.”
Ncobo also discussed Mosa Lebusa’s red card just after the break, saying the referee was again spot on.
“We all agree, he’s got possession. We all agree he’s got the direction towards goal. We all agree that the distance is such that there is an opportunity to score a goal,” he added.
“The only thing that’s left to do is to look at the nearest teammate when he is committing the foul – [he is] behind play, behind play.
“And that’s a critical consideration.”
