The referee Sikhumbuzo Gasa who officiated Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns match has been cleared following the review by SAFA Review Committee.
Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who assisted in the Brazilians' second goal, appeared to be in an offside position. Nevertheless, the officials permitted the match to proceed, resulting in Sundowns taking the lead.
In a subsequent development, Amakhosi managed to score a late equalizer; however, the referee disallowed the goal, citing a foul committed by a Chiefs player on Mosa Lebusa.
The SAFA Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim has insisted that there was nothing wrong with what the referees did following a thorough review of the available footage.
SAFA HEAD OF REFEREES – ‘THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG’
“There was nothing wrong with whatever they did. With the footage we have, we couldn't find any evidence to the contrary,” said Ebrahim to KickOff.
“So, maybe SuperSport TV are the ones that need to be able to answer because if we had a camera behind the goalpost… I would like to know why they couldn't provide footage from there.
“That's the only question I can answer. Beyond that, someone else asked me if the referees were cleared, but there was nothing the referees could be cleared on.
“It was just the Review Committee reviewing incidents, and according to the review, they never found anything wrong with the footage that they had.
“That's for both incidents. With the one [Chiefs denied equaliser], there was a possible push on the Sundowns defender. From the video material that we have, it's not clear. So, we go with the on-field decision.
“The same with the possible offside. If SuperSport United can provide us with better angles, then we can say we have an offside situation.”
Ebrahim remarked that the technical team member associated with the Chiefs' iPad, which was sent away by the referee, should have received a yellow card or been dismissed from the match.
‘THEY WERE MISUSING THE MONITOR'
“I think that maybe the referee was under the impression that he could tell them to remove the monitor because they were misusing the monitor,” he added.
“The Laws of the Game allow the use of handheld mobile equipment like tablets and small laptops, but if they use it incorrectly… Well, if you read the Laws of the Came, it will tell you about the use of electrical equipment.
“People can be sent off or cautioned for the misuse of the electrical equipment. [Questioning match officials decision] That is not the reason match officials allowed it to be there.
“The device is for technical staff to analyse their players, analyze their team, analyse systems of play. That's the reason they are allowed to have it there.”
