Cricket Rugby Soccer Sport news so fresh, its live!

February 12, 2025
Search
Football Mamelodi Sundowns MTN8 Nedbank Cup Orlando Pirates

Mokwena Disputes Penalty Call In Nedbank Cup Final

  • June 2, 2024
  • 2 min read
  • 265 Views
Mokwena Disputes Penalty Call In Nedbank Cup Final

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena expressed his disagreement with a crucial penalty decision that went against his team in their Nedbank Cup final defeat to Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

The controversial moment arrived when Patrick Maswanganyi was awarded a penalty after a challenge from Aubrey Modiba. Maswanganyi converted the penalty, equalizing the score at 1-1 after Themba Zwane’s opening goal for Sundowns. However, Mokwena believes the foul should have been called the other way.

“There were key moments in the game that didn’t go our way,” Mokwena stated at the post-match press conference.

He elaborated on the disputed penalty, “I reviewed the penalty they received, and honestly, I believe Maswanganyi fouled Aubrey Modiba. I’ve watched it repeatedly, and in my opinion, it’s a foul on Mamelodi Sundowns.”

Mokwena further questioned another refereeing call, “There was also an unclear foul on Marcelo Allende. Similar situations involving Bongani Zungu and Mosa Lebusa resulted in fouls awarded in the other direction.”

While acknowledging the disappointment, Mokwena remained gracious in defeat. “Cup finals are decided by small details and moments. Unfortunately, those moments during the 90 minutes didn’t favor us. We must congratulate Orlando Pirates on their victory and their successful defense of the Nedbank Cup trophy.”

This victory marked back-to-back cup triumphs for Pirates, who also secured the MTN8 and Ke Yona Cup trophies earlier in the season. It was also their second cup final win against Sundowns this season, having previously defeated them on penalties in the MTN8 final back in October.

The Nedbank Cup triumph ties Pirates with Sundowns for most Nedbank Cup titles (four each) since the commercial bank took over as the sponsorship ahead of the 2007/08 season.

About Author

Robin-Duke Madlala

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *