PSL referee of the year suspended after denying Pirates a penalty

Safa Referees Committee Chair Natasha Tshiclas insists bad officiating in DStv Premier League games is not a reflection of the standard of refereeing in the country.

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Tshiclas revealed only two incidents of poor officiating were recently reported to her office – one being Celtic’s disallowed goal against Sundowns and the referee’s decision not to award a penalty to Pirates against Swallows in what is dubbed the original Soweto derby.

“I don’t agree with those who say the standard of officiating has dropped. There were only two incidents reported to us… Pirates vs Swallows and Sundowns vs Bloemfontein Celtic,” said the veteran football administrator.

The referee of the year, Jelly Chavani, has been suspended for not awarding a penalty to the Soweto giants, with Tschilas admitting Chavani’s suspension is disappointing as he is the reigning referee of the year.

“I can confirm that Jelly Chavani has been suspended for four weeks after denying Pirates a clear penalty against Swallows. This is also very disappointing from Chavani, considering that he is the referee of the year at the moment,” Tshiclas confirmed to SAFM.

Referees have come under fire recently following a handful of bad decisions.

Supporters have been vocal on social media, wondering whether referees are being influenced by outside forces but Tshiclas dismissed these notions.

“If you are going to accuse the referees of being corrupt, then also ask yourself who is corrupting the officials because they’re not alone.

“But I’m not saying they’re corrupt. I’m saying ask yourself who is doing this to the refs if they’re being corrupted,” concluded Tshiclas.

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