Former PSL Referee Victor Hlungwani has admitted that Abongile Tom got three crucial decisions wrong that should have gone SuperSport United’s way in their MTN8 quarter-final defeat to Orlando Pirates.
The Buccaneers stomped to a 3-1 victory over Matsatsantsa at Orlando Stadium on Saturday evening, but it was the referee’s decisions during the match that were the talk of the town, even post the action.
SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt was furious with the decisions which unfortunately got him in trouble with Tom, who, in the process send him packing from the dugout with a straight red card for his remonstrations.
Hlungwani has since broken down what transpired in the Pirates and SuperSport drama-filled clash, and that the visitors were done hard by Tom’s incorrect decisions.
“There’s a handball,” the Principal explained on SABC’s Soccerzone, talking about Thabiso Monyane being hit by the ball.
“We talking natural or unnatural position of the hand. If you can see the hand outstretch, so when the hand outstretch, they’re no longer natural. And when a player is putting his hand in that position [up in the air], he’s having a risk of being hit by the ball.
“So, when the ball hit the hand in that position, a handball offence has committed, so a penalty should’ve been awarded, and in this case, it was not awarded because if you can see, Abongile Tom is obstructed there. He could not see if whether the ball hit the hand.
“But we can show you at Soccerzone that handball offence has been committed, penalty should’ve been awarded. Incorrect decision by the referee,” Hlungwani added.
Meanwhile, Pirates’ opening goal courtesy of Olisa Ndah’s cheeky dummy in the fifth minute, should not have stood according to Hlungwani.
“We move over the same match. There’s a goal scored by Olisa Ndah,” he continued.
“Was it an offside or not offside? Now if we draw the line there, you will see that Olisa Ndah is nearer to his opponents goal.
“At the moment the ball is played is Olisa Ndah on the line? He’s in the red zone. If he’s in the red zone therefore he’s offside. It’s not an offence to be in an offside position, but if he plays the ball, if he made contact with the ball, he’s now interfering with play therefore offside flag should’ve gone up.
“So here, he interfered with play. Flag did not go up, goal was given. Incorrect decision by the assistant referee.”
Hlungwani added that Patrick Maswanganyi was a lucky man and should’ve been sent for an early shower after elbowing Gape Moralo in the chest.
“We see Maswanganyi. This is violent conduct [elbowing]. A player should be sent off,” Hlungwani affirmed.
“If you use an elbow it’s worse because striking an opponent using an elbow, we’re saying you’re using excessive force. This is brutality.
“The player should be sent off. We cannot condone this. Unfortunately the player [Maswanganyi] got a yellow card and he should’ve been sent off. I hope he learnt his lesson.
The last action that sealed Hunt’s fate on the evening, was when Monyane’s hand was struck by the ball from teammate Thabiso Sesane, a decision Hlungwani said was a correct call from Tom not to award SuperSport a spot-kick.
“Gavin he’s complaining that he sees a handball here,” Hlungwani said.
“Now we can say yes there was handball, but the law says, if the ball hit the hand or touches the hand from the player who is close, if you can check here from the player who is close – and it is his own teammate – he is trying to avoid.
“So, therefore there can’t be handball because the ball come from the player who is close and from a teammate. So, correct decision by the ref not to give a penalty because it’s not a penalty in terms of the law. It’s not supported by law.”
Pirates became the first side to book their spot in the Wafa Wafa semis and were joined by Stellenbosch FC.
