PSL disciplinary body under fire for failing to act against violent conduct by players

Given the PSL disciplinary committee (DC) has proven to be toothless of late, Orlando Pirates striker Yanela Mbuthuma is likely to get off the hook for what appeared to be a deliberate kick to the ankle of Tashreeq Matthews of Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s MTN8 final in Durban.

Mbuthuma was on the ground when he asininely kicked his Bafana Bafana teammate, and referee Abongile Tom missed the incident.

But TV footage caught the vicious kick.

Retired referee-turned-TV pundit Victor Hlungwani has condemned the PSL for not acting on such incidents like they used to. He insisted Mbuthuma should have been sent off against Sundowns and also called for retrospective punishment for the ex-Bafana striker.

“The blame must go to the league,” Hlungwani told Sowetan on Tuesday.

“The league isn’t acting against these violent incidents now, and I don’t know why. There have been a number of them this season, where players should have been charged with violent conduct and bringing the league into disrepute

“That Mbuthuma incident was violent conduct because he used brutality and excessive force against an opponent when he wasn’t challenging for the ball, so he should have been sent off. I think the DC should summon him and punish him because he nearly ended someone’s career.”

In the past, then PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu would issue retrospective punishments by summoning culprits to the DC, even when refs had missed the violent incidents. There was no VAR then, but Majavu would rely on TV footage to charge players.

However, the new regime has hardly followed Majavu’s lead, with many players going unpunished.

Attempts to get a comment from PSL’s new prosecutor Pumzo Mbana, who replaced Majavu in January, were unsuccessful, while the league’s head of legal Michael Murphy was also unreachable.

Some of the violent conduct incidents the PSL DC acted on while Majavu was in charge:

• May 2020: Fined Sundowns’ Gaston Sirino R50,000 and banned him for two games for smacking two SuperSport players, Clayton Daniels and Dean Furman. Sirino didn’t get a yellow card.
• October 2017: Banned Gabadinho Mhango of Bidvest Wits for an effective six games for spitting into the face of Michael Morton of AmaZulu. Morton received a red card and a two-game suspension after he shoved Mhango to the ground following the spitting incident. The referee didn’t issue Mhango a card.
• September 2008: Fined Maritzburg defender Gary Goldstone R10,000 and banned him for two matches for elbowing Chiefs’ Tshepo Bulu. Goldstone only received a yellow card for the offence.

Recently unpunished violent incidents:

• October 2023: Sundowns’ Bongani Zungu broke the leg of Bernard Parker of TS Galaxy in a Carling Knockout tie. Zungu was red-carded but served just a mandatory two-game ban with no retrospective action taken against him.
• August 14 2026: AmaZulu’s Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya only saw a yellow for a vicious challenge on Pirates’ Sihle Nduli in a league match. Nduli suffered a grade 3 ankle ligament tear, ruling him out for three months.
• August 8 2026: Polokwane’s Surprise Mathonsi left Teboho Mokoena with a deep cut below his chin after a strong challenge in the MTN8 quarterfinals. Mokoena went on to miss a few games, while Mathonsi only received a yellow card.
• October 10 2026: Mbuthuma kicks Matthews during the MTN8 final in Durban but doesn’t receive even a yellow card.