Did Kaizer Chiefs ‘benefit’ in their Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash with Stellenbosch FC? Steve Barker thinks so, while Nasreddine Nabi couldn’t care less

With the game locked at 1-1 late on and seemingly headed into extra time, Chiefs won a corner kick from which they managed to force the ball into the back of the net.

Despite referee Sikhumbuzo Gasa initially pointing to the centre line, signalling he had given the goal, his assistant, Simekele Jali, raised his flag to indicate he had spotted an infringement of some sort.

The two officials then had a brief discussion, seemingly involving the fourth official, before Gasa proceeded to award the goal, leaving a few confused at the stadium apart from the jubilant Chiefs contingent.

The controversy surrounding the goals left Stellies coach Steve Barker at a loss for words while his players, especially goalkeeper Sage Stephens, nearly lost their heads.

Whether Stephens was fouled or not, or another infringement was missed, is something that will be discussed by former referees Victor Hlungwani and Ace Ncobo in their respective TV shows this week, with fans eagerly awaiting what comes out.

Understandably, under the circumstances and the nature of his side’s defeat, Stellies coach Steve Barker was at a complete loss for words, as he could hardly fathom the decisions he had witnessed go against his team.

In his post-match interview, the 2023-23 Carling Knockout Cup-winning coach decided to point out that it was not the first time his side had been the victim of poor officiating in big cup matches.

"I am just going to keep it brief, I'm not going to talk about the game, look two years ago in the MTN8 quarter-final we got a penalty in the 96th minute against Chiefs, at Danie Craven, and it got overturned," Barker told SuperSportTV.

"We played in the [MTN8] final against [Orlando] Pirates, they get a free-kick five meters in advance, it gets given.

“Today, the linesman puts his flag up for a foul on our goalkeeper, which we could clearly see it was, it gets overturned. So what can I say? Thank you."

It is worth noting that although the spotlight was on Chiefs, who appeared to get the rub of the green on the day, Stellies can also count themselves fortunate that some decisions went their way.

One such incident involved defender Ismael Toure, who was lucky to stay on the field after he first gave away a penalty for a handball in the first half, inexplicably avoiding a yellow card, before then getting booked for a foul on Gaston Sirino, which would have been his second, resulting in a red card.

Toure seemingly fouled Ashley du Preez in the first half as well, an incident that could have easily resulted in a penalty, but the incident was not spotted by the referees.

Another incident, interestingly involving the same player, was when Toure appeared to push George Matlou during the corner, which eventually resulted in Andre de Jong’s equaliser for Stellies.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is still pending for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa, though discussions are ongoing with Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie pushing hard for the technology.

The PSL has been in talks with the South African Football Association (SAFA) about VAR and it seems the recent intervention of the outspoken McKenzie will finally see the expensive technology introduced.

This season has seen the calls get louder, with quite a number of incidents in matches of consequence, producing controversial incidents that could be settled by VAR if it were available.

But as seen in Europe over the past few seasons, the introduction of VAR has not meant that games no longer have any controversy, as the technology itself can be a source if not used the way it is meant to be used.

As Nasreddine Nabi and his technical team attempt to ensure that Chiefs don’t endure another trophyless season, another massive mountain lies ahead with the potential of facing Sundowns in the semi-final.

Amakhosi were drawn to face the winner between the Brazilians and Sekhukhune United in the next round, a fixture that is guaranteed fireworks regardless of who Chiefs face.

If that is indeed Sundowns, some of the Amakhosi fans would be forgiven for quaking in their boots, given how their team has fared against the side from the Capital this season.

PSL

Kaizer Chiefs

Stellenbosch FC

Mamelodi Sundowns