Miguel Cardoso is fuming despite their victory over Golden Arrows.
Image: Backpagepix
On a night fraught with controversy, Mamelodi Sundowns found themselves on the wrong end of two contentious refereeing decisions during their 2-1 victory over Lamontville Golden Arrows at Loftus Versfeld.
The match, played on Wednesday evening, coincided with Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie’s announcement of funding for the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology for the South African Football Association (SAFA). The timing only served to heighten the debate over the necessity of such measures in the Premier Soccer League.
Referee Siyabulela Qunta’s critical errors marred Sundowns’ hopes of climbing to the top of the Premiership table. Notably, Qunta and his officiating team ruled out an Iqraam Rayners goal for offside when, in fact, the decision appeared highly questionable. Rayners had already scored once earlier in the match, but his second effort was chalked off.
Adding insult to injury, a penalty was awarded to Arrows moments after they had seemingly been penalised for an offside — a chain of events that left Sundowns players and management seething.
This 2-1 outcome ultimately left Sundowns with a goal difference of +22, with 32 goals scored and 10 conceded. A more emphatic 3-0 triumph would have bolstered their goal difference to +24, giving them a crucial edge in the title chase.
Meanwhile, in a closely contested parallel fixture, Orlando Pirates also secured a 2-1 victory over Polokwane City. That result elevated the Buccaneers to the top of the log with a goal difference of +23 (31 scored, eight against). The duplicity of fortunes highlighted the razor-thin margins currently separating success from failure in the league.
Sundowns’ coach Miguel Cardoso, visibly frustrated after the match, suggested that the absence of VAR contributed significantly to Qunta’s misjudgements.
“In the end, all the situations came against us,” Cardoso lamented. “The referee would surely have been happy to have VAR to help him. He needed it to see the offside before the penalty correctly.”
Cardoso reflected on a similar incident from the previous season, when a glaring offside call impacted Sundowns’ chances in the Nedbank Cup semi-final against Kaizer Chiefs.
“We missed a clear one-metre offside that should have been called, which would have given us a chance to compete for a place in the final. There are too many mistakes,” he asserted. “I think VAR should be a reality in the PSL as soon as possible.”
The mounting calls for VAR in South African football reverberate not only at Sundowns but across the league, as players, coaches, and fans increasingly demand consistency and fairness in officiating. On a night meant to celebrate an important victory, Sundowns were left fuming, enveloped in the shadow of potential glory stolen by the whistle.