Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has explained why the match officials rightfully allowed Stellenbosch FC’s crucial goal over Mamelodi Sundowns after Lehlohonolo Mojela returned to the pitch from an initial offside position.
Mojela scored the only goal of the MTN8 semi-final second leg, making it 2-0 on aggregate to send Stellies into their first-ever final of the Wafa Wafa Cup.
There was some debate about Mojela’s goal, though, but Ncobo explained the match officials made the right call despite the Stellies player initially being out of the pitch before coming back onside at the moment he receives the ball.
“The first thing he aims to raise is the fact that he [Mojela] came from outside the field of play,” he said on Extra-Time.
“But there is nothing in law that prohibit a player from being carried outside of the field by his own momentum, but he gets into the field of play. He was in an offside position but not punishable because of the receiving the ball directly from a teammate.
“He strays off [the field], as soon as he sees they’ve retained possession, he tracks back into the field of play. He’s in an offside position at that moment, not punishable because his teammate is still holding the position, he has not passed the ball to him.
“Now, at that moment, he is not nearer than both the ball and the second-last defender, he is actually in line with the ball, a tad inside even.
“For the assistant referee to recognise that there was nothing wrong in him being in an offside position but delaying until that crucial pass is cut back to him, even if he was in line with the ball it would still not be offside – spot on decision by the assistant referee.”
