Junior Khanye has spoken about referee Abongile Tom’s performance in the MTN 8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Saturday.
Pirates won the final 3-1 in a penalty shoot after the match ended goalless in 120 minutes. The former Kaizer Chiefs winger says Tom had a good first half however wasn’t fair in not awarding a penalty to Sundowns late in the game a decision that he believes would have changed the complexion of the game.
He was referring to the most talked about incident which came in extra time when Sundowns midfielder Lebohang Maboe was kicked by Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine inside the box.
“The referee did well in the first half but the incident of the handball is debatable,” Khanye said on iDiski TV.
“It’s debatable in the sense that someone might argue about the position of the hands so another referee might have given it just because the ball hit the hand and even the distance from where it hit.
“I still say it’s debatable another referee might have given it but the incident involving Shalulile, was sort of an obstruction. The keeper went to the ball running and if you checked he had lost the ball but there was a foul.
“Shalulile was pushed but the question is was it a strong push and that’s why I say another person would have given it because the goalkeeper made a late run”
“But the last one even I agree it was a penalty because Chaine kicked someone and that penalty was going to change the complexion of the game.
“Maybe the first two decisions are debatable and maybe the referee has a different view. This is a game of opinions as I always say but that last incident is not debatable, it was a clear penalty
“The referee’s decision is final I get that and some are debatable but he still has the final say. Yes, Pirates eventually won on penalties but I don’t think if the decision in that incident was different this would have been the case.
“He is a FIFA referee, he had a good first half and yes those two decisions in the second half are datable but the last one is definitely a penalty.”
You can watch Khanye’s full analysis of the MTN 8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns on iDiski TV’s official YouTube channel.
