Football fans do not always agree with some of their decisions, especially when it comes to awarding of penalties or sending players off the field. Both, Victor and Tinyani have been around the block since 2006 and is not to be intimidated in applying the laws of the game. Victor made his debut on 14 September 2006 in a match between Black Leopards and Cape Umoya United that ended goalless. Not only is he highly sought in South Africa but his authority and interpretation and application of laws of the game on the continent is well documented evidenced by the calls-up he has received for CAF Champions and Confederations League matches inclusive of African football giant matches involving Al Ahly, TP Mazembe, Zamalek and ES Setif, among others.
This concluded season, Victor oversaw 20 matches and he was quite generous with yellow cards, issuing 59 of them and three red cards. He awarded six penalties.
Controversial Luxolo Badi who had a nightmare of a showing in the Soweto derby handling of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs which the former went on to win 2-1, was allocated the second most number of matches – 18 – equal with another Johnny Came Late in Abongile Tom who made his debut in August 2018. Badi issued 44 yellow and three red cards and five penalties while a boisterous Tom issued 59 yellow, two red cards and four second bookable offences and six penalties.
Philangenkosi Khumalo who came to the fore in October 2018 only officiated in 17 matches but managed to issue 70 yellow cards; the most by any referee all season and averaging 4,11 yellow cards per match and a massive seven penalties. That is way ambitious by any standards.
There is one Thabo Mkhabela who only started in November 2020 but with more game time, he seems to have made himself a name. He officiated in five matches all season and issued 16 yellow cards and six penalties – that is quite some heavy handedness from Mkhabela. Olani Jethro Kwinda is another one from the top shelf who did not get a lot of game time: Six matches, 17 yellow and one red card and four penalties.
