Former Premier Soccer League referee Victor ‘The Principal’ Hlungwani was stated that Abongile Tom should’ve ruled out Orlando Pirates’ second goal in the MTN8 final because the free-kick was taken on the wrong spot.
The Buccaneers became the first side to lift three successive MTN8 titles but had to come from behind against a very resilient Stellenbosch FC.
Pirates, though, turned the game via goals from Monnapule Saleng, Tshegofatso Mabasa and Relebohile Mofokeng, with the latter two being in injury-time.
It was Bucs’ second goal that caused controversy after Mofokeng quickly took a free-kick in what appeared at least five meters away from the actual spot where the foul happened, finding Mabasa to slot the ball past Sage Stephens.
The scene caused a massive outcry in the country, and Hlungwani explained Tom made a mistake by not recalling the free-kick to the original place of the foul.
“In 2020/21, my last year as referee, FIFA amended the laws and said ‘the free kicks must be taken from where the infringement occurred’,” he said on Soccerzone.
“Barker said there was no foul [but] we can clearly show him that there was kicking an opponent. So there was a foul, we are happy with [the ref to blow] the foul.
“But let’s look at the distance, we can see that the referee is indicating the ball goes that way and immediately Rele realises that people are sleeping and he took the ball to Mabasa who then scored.
“But the law says it [the free-kick] must be taken from where the offence occurred. It was not taken from where the offence occurred, or within the radius. That’s where the problem is, that’s where the referee should put it back to where the infringement occurred.
“Incorrect decision by the referee in terms of procedure for a free-kick, which is law 13.”