I don't 'hate' Kaizer Chiefs - insists Safa Gauteng Referees boss as he recalls awarding penalty in favour of Amakhosi in Soweto Derby clash against Orlando Pirates

Former Fifa referee Victor Hlungwani has responded to accusations from some Kaizer Chiefs supporters who alleged that he hates the club due to his unfavorable assessments during the team's matches.

The Giyani-born man asserted that the penalty given to Orlando Pirates in the recent Soweto Derby was legitimate and maintained that referee Luxolo Badi was right not to award Chiefs a penalty against Stellenbosch two weeks ago.

Consequently, Chiefs fans were not completely satisfied with the judgments of the 2011/12 PSL Referee of the Season and accused him of disliking the Naturena-based giants.

Hlungwani has now stepped forward to defend himself, stating that he has no reason to dislike Chiefs, rather, he is adhering to the laws of the game.

"I see many people saying I hate Chiefs. I have no reason to do that. I don't agree with the Chiefs fans. If I hate Chiefs why did I give a penalty in 2021 against Orlando Pirates when Olisa Ndah caught Khama Billiat in the box at the last minute?" asked Hlungwani, as quoted by Isolezwe.

"If I hate Chiefs, why did I fight for them when the coach of Stellenbosch, Steve Barker, said that they win on penalties and the team they play with always gets red cards?  We explained all the decisions he was talking about trying to show that the penalties he received were deserved.

"Most of the people who complain about what I said don't know the rules of the game.  Someone said I was suspended 28 times while I was a referee, which is not true. I was stopped once after referring to a match between Polokwane City and Maritzburg United," the chairperson of the Safa Gauteng Referees Committee added.

"After the game, I got a call from Daniel Bennett (who is also a former referee) and he agreed with me. Even Errol Sweeney (the former referee) agreed with me. According to me, the Chiefs player was waiting to be touched and then lay down.

"It is not the first to disagree with Ace Ngcobo in terms of decisions. But most of the time we agree. If they ask me to step aside, I will accept and apologize. I don't hate criticism because it can build me up."

Hlungwani, who officially retired from officiating in July 2022 after two decades in the Premier Soccer League, is currently an analyst at SABC Sport. He reviews matches every Monday on SoccerZone.

Chiefs, on the other hand, have been performing admirably lately, remaining unbeaten in their last three matches across all competitions. Amakhosi occupy sixth place with 25 points in the table, with 13 games still to be played in the 2024/25 season.

With Chiefs awarded a penalty against Chippa United in their Nedbank Cup Round of 16 match, Hlungwani is anticipated to provide his assessment on Monday night on SoccerZone.

The Glamour Boys are preparing for their next league match against SuperSport United, which will take place at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.