In the latest installment of his official column for Hollywoodbets Sports, Jerome Damon touches on all the contentious decisions and penalty calls as Kaizer Chiefs lifted the Nedbank Cup to end a 10-year trophy wait.
We witnessed arguably the biggest domestic final in recent memory...
Kaizer Chiefs faced off against bitter rivals Orlando Pirates in the Final of the Finals. You couldn’t script it better. And every referee in the country was secretly (or not so secretly) dreaming of landing this match.
Names like Abongile Tom, Thando Ndzandzeka, Jelly Chavani, and Sikhumbuzo Gasa – all in the conversation.
But when the dust settled, it was 29-year-old Masixole Bambiso from the Southern Cape who got the whistle.
A massive stage. A monster rivalry. A chance to make or break a career.
As the teams’ “chemical engineers” – a modern rebrand of the old-school special project coordinators, aka muti men – treated the turf at Moses Mabhida with their magic sprays, you could feel the energy crackling.
This wasn’t just about a trophy. It was about legacy, pride, and bragging rights. And Bambiso? He had to own that moment. Because the whole country was watching, not just the players.
Now, if you’ve ever worn a referee’s kit, you’ll know: the first 10 minutes are crucial. You scan for the playmakers, figure out the patterns, and clock the troublemakers.
And when Pule Mmodi roasted Deano van Rooyen down the left flank in the 8th minute, you knew something was coming.
Boom – a sharp whistle. Penalty!
One commentator muttered, “That was soft.” But, nah – in the Laws of the Game, there’s no such thing as a soft penalty. Van Rooyen clumsily clipped his man.
That’s a foul in any stadium in the world.
How did I know it was the right call before the replay? Easy.
The Pirates players barely protested. And the defender closest to Bambiso? Just threw his arms up and walked away. That body language doesn’t lie.
Later came the Inacio Miguel-on-Mohau Nkota flashpoint right in front of the Pirates bench – cue theatrics. The bench lost it, demanding red. Bambiso went yellow.
I’ve seen the replay. It was one of those “orange” tackles – right on the edge. Could’ve gone either way. But Bambiso stuck to his guns, and in fairness, no one whined too much after.
The only real blemish? Minute 68. Wandile Duba’s nasty stomp on Makhehleni Makhaula’s Achilles – after the whistle.
Bambiso called the foul, but missed the stomp. If we had VAR?
Chiefs would’ve been down to 10. No doubt. That kind of sly move is the stuff referees hate to miss. But again, from the angle he had, you can’t fault the call.
From there, the match flowed. The players took over, and they played like they trusted the ref. That’s what you want in a final.
Former referee Jerome Damon – who featured in multiple World Cup tournaments – delivers his authoritative column every week, exclusively for Hollywoodbets Sports…
