Right Call? Ncobo Analyses Nedbank Cup Final Penalty

Former FIFA referee Ace Ncobo has analysed the much-debated penalty decision in the Nedbank, explaining why the match official made the right call.

The incident happened in injury-time of the first half when referee Thando Ndzandzeka pointed to the spot for a handball by Victor Letsoalo.

The Sekhukhune forward was lying on the floor and seemed to have touched the ball as Thembinkosi Lorch wanted to dribble past him.

It has since caused much debate among fan bases, with views seemingly split whether it was the right call or not, but Ncobo explained why he feels the referee’s decision was “spot on”.

“It is an offence if a player: deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball. When I analyze every single decision of the referee I derive my analysis from the Laws Of The Game. It is always my point of departure,” he wrote in a statement on social media.

“In the Nedbank Cup Final between Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United a penalty was awarded to Pirates. Let’s break the incident down:

1. A Sekhukhune player goes to ground after colliding with a teammate. The Referee correctly does not stop play because there is no question of serious injury requiring immediate medical attention. (Keep this note: an injured player takes no further part in active play).
2. A Pirates player gains possession of the ball very close to the Sekhukhune player on the ground. The player on the ground registers his involvement in active play by kicking the ball with his foot, whilst still on the ground. This action nullifies any notion of injury.
   (This “no injury” is reinforced a few seconds later when he stands up without having received any medical attention seconds after the penalty is awarded.
3. When the attempt to kick the ball away from the Pirates striker fails, the Sekhukhune player, still lying on the ground, reaches out with his arm and deliberately handles the ball. The referee and assistant simultaneously see the infringement, as seen by the almost negligible time between the time the assistant referee raises his flag and the referee blows for the infringement.
4. The Pirates striker sees the handball but, on the spur of the moment, thinks that the touch by hand may not have been seen by the match officials, attempts to kick the ball towards the hand/arm of his opponent. This attempt fails as the ball strikes the thigh of the player on the ground. I must mention that, even if the attempt had been successful, the Ref would’ve simply ignored the “handball” created out of circumventing the Laws via a deliberate trick to create an infringement. I have read a huge number of comments from people who claimed that the Pirates striker should have been punished for
   “kicking the ball against an injured opponent”, yet the truth is that, even if he had done that and it was illegal, it would have come AFTER the deliberate handball.

“In conclusion, the decision to award a penalty was Spot On!”

Pirates completed a domestic cup double after lifting Nedbank Cup and MTN8.