Chiefs, Dows & Swallows – Ncobo Assesses Controversial Ref Calls

Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has given his verdict on the recent controversial referee decisions in the DStv Premiership.

Ncobo, who now works as General Manager of the PSL, is said to be roped in as match commissioner to games following a host of controversial decision at the start of the 2023/24 DStv Premiership campaign.

On Monday, he discussed incidents from the games between Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns, Sekhukhune United and Moroka Swallows as well as TS Galaxy against Kaizer Chiefs.

First up, the incident when Grant Kekana had a goal ruled out because of an alleged offside against Arrows, with Ncobo insisting it was a completely wrong call.

“At that moment, this is the most critical phase here, that is the last teammate of the goalscorer to touch the ball,” he said on Extra-Time.

“Where is a Sundowns player in an offside position? There can never be a player in an offside position when the ball is cut back from the goal-line.

“That moment, he [Kekana] touches it, it deflects of his foot, it is touched by a defender – we can’t even be discussing situations such as ‘deliberate play’ because we only get into that discussion when there was a player, who is in an offside position.

“An offside position is just when the ball was last touched by a teammate. When was it last touched by a teammate on the goal-line, which nullifies any offside position. That should’ve been a legitimate goal.”

Ncobo then went on to address the controversial goal of Swallows against Babina Noko, which has since seen referee Siyabonga Nkomo and his assistant Thamanga Sebati being suspended by the South African Football Association.

“When a referee commits an error in law it’s embarrassing,” Ncobo argued.

“Here we see an error in law – not an error in judging, was it a foul, was it a yellow or was it a red card?

“At that moment, the goalkeeper is in control of the ball. The law says ‘when the goalkeeper is in control of the ball, you cannot challenge him’. At that moment he’s in control, but even if you were allowed to challenge him there is a foul that takes place before that goalkeeper is pushed into goal.

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“How do you begin to give it as a goal?”

Finally, Ncobo also analysed an incident from Chiefs’ 1-0 defeat to Galaxy, where the ball hit S’fiso Hlanti’s hand, with the former referee again pointing out a wrong call.

“The outstretched arm, the ball comes, he only moves long after it has touched his arm,” he added.

“This angle clearly show us, he’s making his body bigger, that should’ve been given as a penalty. Clear.”