AmaZulu were robbed says ex-Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Nkosi

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi believes Kaizer Chiefs should not have been awarded a penalty in added time in the 1-1 draw with AmaZulu at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.

Replays strongly suggested that referee Jelly Chavani got the call wrong in awarding Chiefs the late spot kick. Certainly there was no clear evidence that the ball had struck Xoki’s hand or arm.

“You can see Xoki is having his hand around his back. It doesn’t even seem to hit his hand,” Nkosi said after the match in the SuperSport TV studio.

“I don’t understand exactly how the assistant referee (Emmanuel De Sani) could have given that. To be brave enough to have given a decision that big.

“Why I’m saying it’s the assistant referee is because the referee took time. That he was listening to the messages in his headphone,” Nkosi continued.

“Then he took a decision. Because if it was his decision, then he would have just went straight (to the penalty spot, Chavani had allowed play to continue for several seconds after the incident).

“He took about five seconds, somebody told him that this is a penalty and then he pointed to the spot. AmaZulu should have won the game, they were robbed actually in this particular instance.”

Fellow analyst Amanda Dlamini brought up another aspect of the incident – prior to the ball reaching Xoki, it looked suspiciously like Chiefs attacker Lebogang Manyama had handled the ball himself while trying to bring it under control, before crossing.

“That deflection and the touch from Manyama, is that not a handball? For the linesman to not see the one right in front of him first, but sees that one (Xoki) – it hits the shoulder but the arms are behind. I thought that lacked consistency,” said the former Banyana Banyana striker.

AmaZulu had drawn first blood in Durban with a neat finish from former Orlando Pirates striker Luvuyo Memela in the 48th minute.