PSL referees put on ice after horrible and costly mistakes

At least two Premier Soccer League (PSL) referees are reported to be suspended from officiating games after they made costly mistakes recently. 

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Officiating in the PSL has been a topic of hot discussion yet again with referees making mistakes in almost every game. 

Just last weekend, the referee who officiated the game between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, Masixole Bambiso came under scrutiny. 

This was after he had denied Pirates what looked to be a clear penalty after Cassius Mailula pushed Thabang Monare from the back inside his own box. 

Former PSL referee and general manager Andile “Ace” Ncobo said Bambiso indeed fumbled with his decisions in the two incidents in the Pirates/Sundowns game. 

“The referee was perfectly positioned to see two things (regarding the penalty call),” said Ncobo on SuperSport’s Monday night review show. 

“The first one is a push on the back of the Pirates player, and the second one is a trip. 

“The Pirates player is brought down clearly inside the penalty area. Then the Sundowns player trips the trailing leg. 

“That’s what brings the player down. It should have been given as a penalty but wasn’t,” added Ace. 

Themba Zwane should have walked

On the incident where Themba Zwane could have been sent off after stomping on a Pirates player, Ncobo said the referee again got it wrong. 

“You look at the incident as it happened at that time. Zwane decides to not go for the ball at all. 

“He instead goes for the man. Exercises excessive force. It does not matter how cleanly the player (Zwane) has played in the past. 

“When a player does that, using excessive force and posing the danger of injury to the opponent, it’s a straight card incident. 

“There is no question about it. How it was given as something else beats me,” Ncobo said. 

SABC Sport meanwhile reports that two referees have been suspended from officiating PSL games for similar incidents. 

According to the report, assistant referee Cledwin Baloyi has not been put on the roster after he denied Swallows FC a clear goal, ruling it offside. 

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This happened in a game between Swallows and TS Galaxy a few weeks ago and it denied the former a chance of collecting three points. 

Another referee, Tshidiso Maruping has also been put on ice after he misjudged a penalty incident in a game between SuperSport United and Golden Arrows.

He called for a penalty claiming that Siyabonga Nhlapho had handled the ball inside his own box but replays clearly show that was not the case.