Ncobo Analyses Lorch’s Nedbank Cup Winner

Former FIFA refereee Ace Ncobo has analysed Thembinkosi Lorch’s extra-time winner in the Nedbank Cup against Venda Football Academy, saying the decision of the official was ‘spot on’.

Lorch scored Pirates’ winner in the 112th minute after the Motsepe Foundation Championship side had held the Buccaneers to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.

However, there was a debate whether Lorch was offside when Evidence Makgopa flicked on the ball with a header in the build-up.

Ncobo, who was recently appointed as General Manager of the Premier Soccer League and has an exclusive interview in this week’s iDiski Times news paper, insisted the assistant made the right call, arguing that tv footage proved the Pirates winger was not offside.

“I want us to focus on the position of the assistant referee on the far side at the moment the moment the flick takes place, the assistant referee is in line with the second-last defender,” he said on Extra-Time.

“From that angle we can’t really tell whether there is any football-playing limb of the attacker that is closer to the opponents’ goal-line than the defender.

“But in that moment, we’re going to expand the picture. I’m not going to draw any lines, look at the ground that’s cut.

“That’s the critical moment that the assistant referee watches and when he watches that he sees no limb of the attacking player that is closer to the opponents goal-line than the defender and I’m inclined to agree with him.

“I’m saying he is in line with the second-last defender. He [the assistant] is in line, he is looking at it.

“If we look at the cut of the grass on the ground, the attacker and the defender are equidistant to that line and that’s the straight-most line we can use on the offside.

“Spot on decision by the assistant, good call.”

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Do you agree with Ncobo’s assessment?