Soweto Derby: Former FIFA Referee Weighs In on Orlando Pirates’ Disputed Goals Against Kaizer Chiefs

• Former FIFA referee Victor Hlungwani weighed in on two controversial refereeing decisions from the Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs
• Hlungwani argued that Yanela Mbuthuma's opening goal for Pirates should have been ruled offside in the 2-1 result at FNB Stadium
• The retired official also disputed the assistant referee's flag against Oswin Appollis, whose goal was disallowed during the match

Former PSL referee Victor Hlungwani has come out strongly against the officiating in Saturday's Soweto Derby, arguing that two key decisions in Orlando Pirates' 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium were incorrectly handled.

The 186th edition of the fixture ended with Pirates claiming bragging rights through goals from Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi. However, the manner in which the match was refereed, specifically around two goal-line decisions by referee Luxolo Badi and his assistants, has drawn significant scrutiny.

Mbuthuma's Goal Should Not Have Stood

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Speaking on Soccerzone, Hlungwani broke down the first incident frame by frame, concluding that Mbuthuma was in an offside position when he scored to give Pirates the lead.

"Here we see Mbuthuma scoring a goal. When we draw the line, it will help us understand. Mbuthuma's leg is on the line," Hlungwani said. "Miguel's leg is outside the line, therefore this puts Mbuthuma in an offside position."

He acknowledged the tightness of the call but maintained that the correct decision was clear. "It's very tight, but you can see clearly here that the leg of Miguel outside the line, Mbuthuma inside the line. Mbuthuma here is offside. This goal was not supposed to have stand. This is not right from this situation. It [the goal] should not have been allowed."

Appollis Flag Also Challenged

Hlungwani was equally critical of the assistant referee's decision to disallow Oswin Appollis' effort, which was ruled offside. In his analysis, Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika's positioning actually played Appollis onside at the moment the ball was played.

"Appollis scored a goal that was ruled offside, and we have Kwinika playing Appollis onside," he said. "This goal was in line with the FIFA Laws of the game. This flag [by assistant referee] is wrong in this situation."

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The two decisions effectively cancelled one another out in terms of the scoreline, but Hlungwani's assessment raises broader questions about the standard of officiating in one of South African football's most high-profile fixtures.

Source: Briefly News