SAFA Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim has clarified the bizarre situation between Maritzburg United and Kaizer Chiefs at Harry Gwala Stadium in the Nedbank Cup Last-32 match on Friday, when the game seemed to have ended in the 88th minute according to the SuperSport TV stopwatch.
Ebrahim said the clock from the pay-tv broadcaster was wrong, which is a first for that to happen, and that referee Abongile Tom, who was in charge of the match blew his whistle correctly.
Tom, based on broadcaster’s time, stopped the match at 88th minute, leading people to think that he had made a mistake, but Ebrahim confirmed to this publication that that was not the case.
“Referee’s time is the one that is the most important, so the TV’s time was incorrect,” Ebrahm told iDiski Times.
“The match played until 90 plus whatever minutes were added. But the broadcaster’s time on TV was incorrect.”
Chiefs won the tie 2-0 against 10-man Maritzburg in extra time, with goals scored by Christian Saile and Ashley du Preez to see the Soweto giants reach the round of 16 of the Ke Yona Cup for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Something similar happened during the Africa Cup of Nations finals where Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe blew the whistle in the 85th minute between Mali and Tunisia, but after noticing his mistake before the game continued until 89th minute, when he officially ended the match for a second time.
Tunisia, who lost the game, protested to the referee in showing him the time that the game was not over, but Sikazwe maintained it, before he was guarded off the pitch by the security personnel on what was a hot day in Cameroon.
He later explained that he was unwell and it was claimed suffered from a heat stroke, saying “I started getting confused. I could not hear anybody.”
