ISAAC MAHLANGU | How Chiefs’ Ndlovu did not see red in the derby remains a mystery

Some of the post-Soweto Derby match talk is unfortunately about the match officials — specifically, more about potential league championship destination-altering calls they did not make.

About 100,000 football fans from all over South Africa gathered in the Calabash for a match many thought would decide where the tightly contested league championship would go.

Kaizer Chiefs’ midfield workhorse Siphesihle Ndlovu emerged from the match as one the luckiest players in this marquee Betway Premiership fixture that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Ndlovu was probably surprised to have been substituted in the 92nd minute for Thabo Cele without a booking to his name.

Despite having the lion’s share of Kaizer Chiefs’ 14 fouls in the match (stats according to Flashscore.co.za), Ndlovu may have deserved more than just a yellow card.

Even in the few instances where Ndlovu won a tackle fairly, he seemed to nibble at the talented winger, Rele Mofokeng, which some match official might have blown up too. It seemed a deliberate physical intimidation tactic.

There were a total of 27 fouls in the match, with some of them seemingly deserving of yellow cards, but none were shown. Both teams escaped without cautions somehow, thanks to the generosity of referee Abongile Tom.

That Ndlovu produced more than half of those makes his escape from Tom’s book seem really suspect. On another afternoon, he could surely have picked up a red card.

Some of his tackles did not belong on the football field, including Ndlovu’s rugby tackle on Mofokeng, which was deserving of an obvious caution. His elbow-led header against Mofokeng was seen to be a normal foul by Fifa-accredited referee Tom. Ndlovu’s roughing-up of Mofokeng was at times impressive and a key feature of how Chiefs grittily earned a draw with less ball and chances, but the match officials’ protection of Bucs’ little playmaker seemed decidedly lacking on many occasions.

Referees are human and they’re prone to human errors, but Tom must have forgotten his yellow cards in the dressing room on Sunday.

The highly competitive derby was notably physical, with Ndlovu leading the charge, being blown for his fouls at least three times in the first half.

Many may feel that the accumulation of fouls alone should have warranted a caution, but Tom had other ideas.

To rub salt in the wound, Oswin Appollis’s legitimate goal was flagged for offside in the first half.

Ndlovu was central to Chiefs’ plans of neutralising dangerman Mofokeng. However, he was allowed to cross the line on more than one occasion.

The match was exciting but there’s a thin line between hard tackling and deliberate foul play. Perhaps the magnitude of the Soweto derby, one of the biggest derbies in the world, clouds the judgement of referees who do not want to influence the result.

The much-awaited video assistant referee (VAR) system could be the answer, especially in bigger matches such as the Soweto derby. To say Ndlovu may have been red-carded had there been VAR would be speculative.

We know, if sport minister Gayton MacKenzie’s words are anything to go by, that VAR should be here sooner rather than later.

Careers are being made or destroyed in such fixtures — and the referee’s decision, especially wrong ones, should not influence where the league goes

Hopefully this is the last Soweto derby to take place without VAR. Much is at stake in the mega-wealthy modern professional environment. League positions decide whether teams are champions, go to the lucrative Caf Champions League, compete for the MTN8, or can be relegated.

Careers are being made or destroyed in such fixtures — and the referee’s decisions, especially wrong ones, should not influence where the league goes.

Talented players such as Mofokeng deserve better protection from the man with a whistle in his mouth. And if the referee can’t protect the likes of Mofokeng, surely VAR would ensure football justice prevails.

Some football fans argue the likes of Mofokeng should toughen up and get used to being kicked and pushed around. There’s merit to the argument. He is about to play as a playmaker in the 2026 World Cup, a stage where the physicality and comparative lack of space to manoeuvre in, compared with the Premiership, are a major step up, and Mofokeng has at times battled in the Bafana Bafana jersey, adjusting to such aspects in international football.

However, referees also should be consistent in applying the rules of the game irrespective of the fixture.

TimesLIVE

• Isaac Mahlangu is a senior news reporter for the Sunday Times/TimesLIVE and avid football supporter.