There were two main incidents which got fans talking: the denied penalty for Kaizer Chiefs in their 1-0 loss against SuperSport United and an offside goal that saw Royal AM beat Sekhukhune United 2-0.
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Hlungwani discusses why, on both occasions according to him, the match officials didn't get their decisions right.
"Let's start with the Kaizer Chiefs one. That was a clear penalty. You know the laws of the game says if you kick an opponent and not the ball then it's a direct free-kick. Inside the 18 yards (box) - it's a penalty!" Hlungwani told the Siya crew.
"Clearly (Bilal) Baloyi kicked (Edson) Castillo and not the ball. Chiefs were supposed to be given a penalty. You know the law also says if there is an error which affects the outcome of the game then the referee should make a decision and in that game he didn't which was wrong.
"Then there was Royal AM against Sekhukhune United where Sera Motebang scored from a clear offside position. He first of all obstructed the opposition goalkeeper which is an offence and he was coming from an offside position and scored the goal, meaning he had an unfair advantage and the goal should not have stood. It was a goal scored from an offside position," Hlungwani told Soccer Laduma.
Meanwhile, Hlungwani added that the goal scored by Venda FC against Casric Stars in the NFD was clearly offside too, which according to the former referee, was because the assistant referee was not in the right position when the striker received the ball. Venda went on to win the game 3-2 away from home.
"The assistant referee was badly positioned and his reading of the game was very poor and there was no one to evaluate him on that point. He should have flagged for offside and that goal should not have stood at all. It was yet another clear offside. How can he as an assistant referee position himself like that and miss such an important decision in the game? That is not acceptable in our game," Hlungwani observed.
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Hlungwani further stated that in Orlando Pirates' games against SuperSport United on Tuesday and then Bucs against AmaZulu FC on Friday, two players should have been red-carded for kicking Relebohile Mofokeng.
"You see in the game on Tuesday Pogiso Sanoka should have been sent off and the same should have happened on Friday with Boniface Haba of AmaZulu. They both on different occasions kicked Relebohile Mofokeng and those were clear red cards which were not given. The referees should learn to protect skillful players like Mofokeng and punish those who do wrong according to the laws of the game," Hlungwani concluded.
As PSL action continues in midweek, the need for accurate and fair refereeing decisions becomes increasingly important, particularly after recent criticism on decisions made on the field. Protecting skilful players and ensuring the integrity of the game should be a priority for match officials. Fans and players alike will be hoping for fewer controversies and consistent officiating in future.
