Coach had eyes off handball call

BAFANA Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba said he never saw the handball incident involving Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye that led to an incorrect penalty being awarded to Bafana Bafana in their 2-1 World Cup qualifying win at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

With Bafana working their way back into the game after a tough start against the classy Lions of Teranga in Polokwane on Saturday‚ the ball struck Gueye on his thigh and Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey mystifyingly adjudged handball and awarded a penalty.

Thulani Hlatshwayo put his spot-kick to the left of goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo in the 44th minute‚ and three minutes later Thulani Serero made it 2-0. Senegal pulled one back in the 78th through substitute Cheikh Ndoye.

Mashaba said he never saw the incident‚ and pointed out that home decisions could quite often go against Bafana when they play away.

“Where I was seated, I didn’t even see anything. I heard somebody on the bench saying‚ ‘It’s a penalty’‚” Mashaba said.

“And I looked at the match official and I saw he was pointing there.

“But we cannot say‚ ‘No‚ no‚ we don’t want it’.

“I mean you could see. We never celebrated. We were sitting‚ until somebody said‚ it’s a penalty.

“But when I get home and I’ve got time, I’ll play this thing and look at it.”

Where I was seated, I didn’t even see anything