Former PSL referee Victor Hlungwani has backed Botswana match official Keabetswe Dintwa for disallowing Mamelodi Sundowns striker Brayan Leon’s goal against Wiliete SC, insisting that the decision was correct because of a foul in the build-up.

Leon appeared to have put Sundowns ahead in the 54th minute of their CAF Champions League second-leg encounter, but Dintwa stopped the celebrations by awarding a free-kick to the Angolan visitors. The decision became a major talking point as Sundowns struggled to find the goal they needed to progress in the competition. iDiski Times +1

Speaking on SoccerZone, Hlungwani praised the referee for making a difficult decision despite the importance of the moment for the South African champions.

“You can see that Leon is impeding \[Wiliete player\] preventing him from getting into an advantageous position. Correct decision by Keabetswe Dintwa from Botswana to disallow the goal. There was a foul.”

Hlungwani, popularly known as “The Principal”, explained that Leon’s action prevented a Wiliete player from moving into a better position to challenge for the ball. He therefore agreed with Dintwa’s decision to penalise the Sundowns forward and rule out the goal. iDiski Times +1

The incident proved significant in a match that ended 1-1. Sundowns had hoped to advance to the Champions League group stages, but Wiliete progressed on the away-goals rule after the aggregate score finished level. The Citizen +1

The elimination ended Sundowns’ hopes of defending their continental title and sparked discussion among supporters about the team’s performance and the key refereeing decisions during the tie.

While the disallowed goal attracted attention, Hlungwani’s assessment focused on the rules and the referee’s responsibility to penalise infringements regardless of the teams involved.

His comments have added to the debate surrounding the incident, with the former referee maintaining that Dintwa made the correct call.

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