'I have no reason to hate Kaizer Chiefs' – referee Hlungwani

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Former Fifa referee Victor Hlungwani has set the record straight after he was accused of being a ‘Kaizer Chiefs hater’.

In recent months, the man known as ‘The Principal’ has given his assessment after matches and often it was not in favour of Chiefs. Following the conclusion of the Soweto Derby which saw the Buccaneers claim a late winner, some Khosi fans claimed the referee made a wrong call to award a penalty.

Hlungwani said on SoccerZone that the referee made a perfect call to award a penalty against Kaizer Chiefs.

“I see many people saying I hate Chiefs. I have no reason to do that. I don’t agree with the Chiefs fans. If I hate Chiefs why did I give a penalty in 2021 against Orlando Pirates when Olisa Ndah caught Khama Billiat in the box at the last minute?” asked Hlungwani, as quoted by Isolezwe.

Hlungwani rubbishes claim that he hates Kaizer Chiefs

“If I hate Chiefs, why did I fight for them when the coach of Stellenbosch, Steve Barker, said that they win on penalties and the team they play with always gets red cards? We explained all the decisions he was talking about trying to show that the penalties he received were deserved.

“Most of the people who complain about what I said don’t know the rules of the game. Someone said I was suspended 28 times while I was a referee, which is not true. I was stopped once after referring to a match between Polokwane City and Maritzburg United.”

“After the game, I got a call from Daniel Bennett (who is also a former referee) and he agreed with me. Even Errol Sweeney (the former referee) agreed with me. According to me, the Kaizer Chiefs player was waiting to be touched and then lay down,” Hlungwani added.

“It is not the first to disagree with Ace Ngcobo in terms of decisions. But most of the time we agree. If they ask me to step aside, I will accept and apologise. I don’t hate criticism because it can build me up.”

Hlungwani was in the spotlight last year following Kaizer Chiefs’ narrow loss to Mamelodi Sundowns. Amakhosi appeared to have scored a last minute equaliser but the referee disallowed the goal following a push from a Chiefs defender. The Principal agreed with the referee that a push was made by Miguel Inacio before he scored.