Sesane's 'brutality' missed - A referee's verdict...

An Orlando Pirates player should have been awarded a red card during their 2-0 MTN8 semi-final second-leg victory over Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, a former top referee has ruled. 

The Soweto giants will contest a third consecutive MTN8 final, this time against Stellenbosch FC, after a 3-1 aggregate win over Cape Town City across the two legs. 

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The first encounter had ended 1-1 in Cape Town last Wednesday, with Pirates completing the job in front of their vociferous supporters at Es'godini three days later courtesy of goals from Tshegofatso Mabasa and Deon Hotto.

However, reviewing the match on SABC Sport's Monday night show Soccer Zone, former FIFA referee Victor Hlungwani has revealed that Bucs defender Thabiso Sesane should have received his marching orders in the 74th minute after seemingly stomping on the Citizens' midfielder Jayden Rhodes.

"We see Sesane having the ball, when he passes the ball," says Hlungwani, reviewing the action on screen with the assistance of slow motion.

"What does he do after? Nobody saw it because the referees' eyes went with the ball, everyone's eyes went with the ball, but we remained to see what happened.

"This is what happened when the ball went away. This is what Sesane did. This is brutality and the player should have been sent off.

"But the referee did not see it. He [Sesane] survived.

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Sesane will be relieved with the referee's oversight as his partnership with Olisa Ndah in the heart of Pirates' defence has been near impenetrable, and his absence for the start of the season, and potentially the final, would have given Jose Riveiro a little headache in terms of selection options. 

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