“The Standard Needs to Go Up” — Itumeleng Khune Reacts to Controversial Stellies Penalty
Football legend Itumeleng Khune has called for improvements in match officiating following Stellenbosch FC’s 2–0 defeat to CR Belouizdad in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday.
The match, played at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers, was settled by goals from Abdennour Belhocini and a late penalty converted by Farid El Melali, a decision that sparked debate and drew sharp criticism from the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.
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Controversial penalty proves turning point
The decisive moment came late in the game when Mohamed Ali Ben Hammouda went down inside the box, prompting the referee to award a penalty that sealed the win for the Algerian side.
Khune took issue with the decision, suggesting the forward went to ground prematurely and exaggerated contact.
“You can see he was looking for it. He went down way before he was even touched on his chest,” Khune said on SABC Sport.
“No touch whatsoever”
The former international shot-stopper expressed frustration with what he described as an eagerness from the match official to award the spot-kick.
“He was looking for it and I think the referee was also ready to blow. No touch whatsoever. I don’t like talking about referees, but the standard needs to go up,” Khune added.
AFCON concerns spill into club football
Khune warned that questionable refereeing decisions are becoming a worrying trend in African football, referencing the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which was marred by controversial officiating calls.
“We just witnessed very poor officiating at AFCON. We can’t be witnessing this again in club football,” he said.
Call for consistency
While acknowledging the difficulty of officiating at elite level, Khune stressed the importance of consistency and higher standards to protect the integrity of continental competitions.
His comments echo growing concerns among players, coaches and pundits who believe improved officiating is key to ensuring fair outcomes in African football tournaments.
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The post “The Standard Needs to Go Up” — Itumeleng Khune Reacts to Controversial Stellies Penalty appeared first on iHarare News.
