PSL WARY OF DERBY FRACAS FALLOUT
Ref Hlungwane in spotlight
PREMIER Soccer League officials are concerned after the ugly spat between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates players during the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Millions of television viewers and the crowd at the stadium were stunned when players from both camps were at each other’s throats with fists flailing, leaving referee Victor Hlungwane at sea.
All Hlungwane did was to call the captains of the teams for an on-field discussion.
But failure to take action during the time of the incident may have jeopardised the referee’s status with Fifa and insiders say this could cost him plum assignments in the future.
The league fears that should such incidents go unpunished it may herald the beginning of ugly football at their matches, which they will not tolerate.
But their hands are tied until they get a report from both the referee and the match commissioner.
PSL head of communications Connie Motshumi said yesterday: ‘‘ There is nothing we can do until we get reports from the match commissioner and the referee. We can’t judge on this at the moment.”
The image of the PSL was yet again projected in a bad light when AmaZulu goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini escaped possible harm from angry supporters who pelted him with missiles shortly after Usuthu lost 2-0 to Maritzburg United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.
The PSL, which takes a dim view of such behaviour by fans, is expected to haul the team before a disciplinary hearing for bringing the league and sponsors into disrepute.
Kapini, who was in tears after the game, was not allowed to speak to the media because he was traumatised.