'Got away with murder!' - Siphesihle Ndlovu was lucky to escape THREE red cards in Kaizer Chiefs brutal draw with Mamelodi Sundowns

In a heavyweight clash that lived up to its physical reputation, Siphesihle Ndlovu found himself at the heart of the storm.

Despite a battle that saw Jayden Adams sent off for Mamelodi Sundowns and Mduduzi Shabalala unfortunately suffer a broken arm, it was the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder’s disciplinary record—or lack thereof—that caught the eye of Victor Hlungwani.

Speaking on Soccerzone, "The Principal" expressed his disbelief that referee Luxolo Badi allowed the Amakhosi man to stay on the pitch following a string of reckless challenges.

Hlungwani argued that the official was far too lenient, noting that Ndlovu was involved in three separate incidents that warranted severe punishment, ranging from Keanu Cupido to Khuliso Mudau and Tashreeq Matthews.

Hlungwani broke down the specific moments where he believed the law was flouted, starting with a heavy collision with Cupido.

He was adamant that the nature of the contact should have triggered a dismissal, stating: “Here, we talking of serious foul play. Player who endangers the safety of an opponent.

"Right, now here we talking of player using excessive force or brutality against an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.”

The former official continued his analysis by highlighting that even after receiving an initial booking, Ndlovu’s subsequent actions should have led to an early bath.

Pointing out the knee to Cupido’s ribs and a later elbow on Mudau, Hlungwani noted: “Here, you can see the knee there on the ribs [of Cupido], so this is almost serious foul play endangering the safety of an opponent. Referee gave a yellow card here. Red card shouldn’t be issued here.

"The referee missed this one [of Cupido], and then what about this one? [elbow on Mudau]. He could’ve given him a second yellow card on this one, but the referee missed.”

The criticism didn't stop there, as the analysis turned to a third incident involving Tashreeq Matthews where Ndlovu appeared to lose his cool entirely.

Hlungwani described the midfielder’s conduct as completely unacceptable for the professional game, suggesting the player was fortunate to avoid a lengthy suspension given the cumulative nature of his tackles.

“What about the next one? Again, the same Ndlovu. What does he do, he’s strangling another player in a reckless manner,” Hlungwani exclaimed during the broadcast.

He concluded his scathing review by adding: “He should’ve been sent off, but he was not sent off for all these challenges.

"It was the Ndlovu show and then he got away with murder. This is not right!”

However, Ben Youssef hit back at the narrative surrounding the South African midfielder after the game.

Speaking to the press about the criticism, the Tunisian coach remained defiant:

"I think the performance of Ndlovu was very good [in the] last few games, unfortunately, he missed the last game because he got a small injury," he declared.

"Now he will miss the next game because of three yellow cards (accumulated).

"The performance of Ndlovu, we're working with some weak points that we have to correct. But we're happy about his performance.

"It's how he plays. What's the problem with Ndlovu? I don't understand (the context of your question)," he added.