Acting Premier Soccer League CEO Mato Madlala has defended referee Victor Hlungwani for the criticism leveled against him and his officials during the weekend’s high-profile Absa Premiership encounter between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs in Tshwane.
The man with the whistle came under fire from Brazilians’ boss Pitso Mosimane for a goal he allowed to stand following their 2-0 loss to the log-leaders.
However, Safa’s Referee Review Committee has backed the decision as the right one and Madlala too has thrown her weight behind Hlungwani.
The issue of refereeing and tight calls has opened up another can of worms and the VAR or Video Assistant Referee discussion.
This new technology has now been introduced in most of the top leagues in Europe, while it was also used to some degree in the Caf Champions League last season.
Cost of the technology remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the league, but Madlala argues that it was more than just financial reasons that were preventing the PSL from diving in and implementing VAR.
Madlala, who is also the owner of KwaZulu-Natal club Lamontville Golden Arrows, has in the meantime asked fans to be patient over VAR.
She has reiterated that the biggest challenge facing the league was the fact that clubs did not have their own stadiums and were instead using venues that largely remained in the hands of the municipalities. – Report by Thahir Asmal
