Ncobo Assesses Pirates & Chiefs Penalties

Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has assesses both penalty incidents of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs over the past weekend.

The two Soweto giants won their games thanks to late penalties, with the Buccaneers beating SuperSport United 1-0 and Chiefs defeating Maritzburg United 3-2 in a five-goal thriller.

Both opposition coaches, Gavin Hunt and Fadlu Davids were vocal upset with the penalty calls, in particular Davids who claimed after the match that the official might be “a supporter”.

However, Ncobo, who now works as General Manager for the Premier Soccer League, explained that Xola Sitela made the right decision on the incident between Ashley du Preez and Rafiq De Goede.

“If a player makes contact with an opponents’ body in such a way that that contact impedes the movement of the opponents, that’s where we then deem it as a holding offence,” he said on Extra-Time.

“It’s not only about holding a shirt, blocking is also impeding. Now let’s look whether an arm was used [by De Goede] to impede the striker.

“The referee blows the whistle, the penalty mark is right there. At no moment does he point towards it. He’s just blowing the whistle. I do not know who he is conversing with because it’s his call and his call alone.

“He can’t even get the far side assistant to help him. He blows the whistle, he has seen the foul but at no point does he point to the penalty mark.

“Now, that there, look at how the arm is positioned. Is it impeding the player from keeping possession or gaining possession of the ball. That’s the critical moment that the referee looks at.

“Whether or not it forces him to fall, is a second reconsideration. The key thing that the law prescribes is that ‘was the player impeded by the arm’.”

Both Phumudzo Manenzhe and Bongani Khumalo agreed and stated the referee made the right call.

Ncobo then assessed the penalty call by Jelly Chavani in Pirates’ close win over Matsatsantsa, saying the referee made two correct decisions in the space of seconds.

– Advertisement –

“The referee, in fact here, makes two major decisions. The first decision that he makes is not to award a penalty for a handballs which was a spot on decision,” he added.

“The ball does strike the hand of the player, but [the hand was] close to the body, natural position in that moment.

“But, immediately thereafter the referee must make a decision [where] Lunga sticks out a foot, he trips the opponent.””But, immediately thereafter the referee must make a decision [where] Lunga sticks out a foot, he trips the opponent.

“And the law is very clear, tripping an opponent or attempting to trip an opponent is a direct free-kick – you do that inside the penalty area it’s a penalty.

“That’s what the referee looks at, spot on decisions. Two major decisions within the space of seconds.”

Do you agree with the two penalty incidents?