Unsightly altercations and refereeing in the spotlight on GDL weekend
The Gauteng Development League’s (GDL) weekend matches were blighted by complaints about inconsistent and unjust decisions made by match officials, and some unfortunate instances reminiscent of mixed martial arts (MMA) on the field. However, in the u19 division of the GDL, it was business as usual.
After a successful full day of GDL activities on Heritage Day, Wednesday, 24 September, the action resumed on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, Kaizer Chiefs scored a 2-0 victory over Kathorus Hyper Academy at the Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena.
Chiefs lived up the club’s status of being home to one of the country’s finest academies, but it was another disappointing outing for Kathorus, who dropped points for a second time within the space of a week after a 2-2 draw against Seven’s Academy on Heritage Day.
Kathorus also fell to a narrow 0-1 defeat to SuperSport United during the GDL Festival at Sicelo Stadium in Midvaal on 20 September. The recent string of setbacks follows a strong run for Kathorus, who will be determined to regain the form that helped them to victories over, among others, Mamelodi Sundowns, Panorama FC, and TS Galaxy.
The School of Excellence and the University of Pretoria (Tuks) played to a 1-1 draw, resulting in the sides earning one point each.
At Curro Sagewood, Orifha Maubelo fired in a remarkable opening goal in SuperSport United’s 2-0 win over TS Galaxy. Maubelo also provided the assist that created the second goal for Tlotliso Makgai.
Highlands Park’s pursuit of a three-peat was boosted when they beat one of the other title contenders, Randburg AFC, by two goals to nil, at Balfour Park.
Jomo Cosmos, after a splendid 4-0 win over Tuks on Heritage Day, were brought back down to earth by Joburg City, who claimed a tight 2-1 victory. Panorama FC, meanwhile, celebrated a 1-0 win over Wits Junior.
Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA) and Mamelodi Sundowns delivered one of the most captivating matches of the weekend at Sicelo Stadium, with the sides sharing a 2-2 draw. RESA demonstrated strong resolve following a 1-3 loss earlier this month to Sundowns at Clapham High.
Rockefvs picked up a 2-1 victory over East Rand Athletic Club. Njabulo Nthite, with assistance from Ramosotho Ramogetse, opened the scoring for Rockefvs, with Kopano Ubah netting their second goal, aided by Onkabetse Kabaso.
On Sunday, though, Mamelodi Sundowns enjoyed a 1-0 win over Rockefvs.
Following their draw against the Brazilians, RESA bagged a 3-2 victory against Seven’s Academy. That result was unfortunately marred by several unfortunate incidents when the clubs’ u14 sides met earlier in the day, including an altercation between a Seven’s Academy official and the referee, which was captured on the SuperSport Schools live stream of the game.
While the root cause of the issue has not been fully revealed, allegations of cheating by match officials have emerged, which seemingly led to discontent within the Seven’s Academy camp.
It is not the first instance in which complaints about match officials have been made. They’ve come up previously, not only in the GDL but also in school tournaments.
The standard of refereeing appears to be a growing concern at all levels of football within the country, with the most recent issue arising from the Betway Premiership, where Chippa United formally submitted a complaint to the Premier Soccer League, requesting an investigation into the actions of referee Philangenosi Khumalo. That followed a 1-1 draw between the Chilli Boys and Sekhukhune United on Heritage Day. Chippa’s bold move comes after a series of contentious decisions that the club suspects may indicate potential match-fixing.
Unfortunately, in the GDL, the issue has been simmering for an extended period, with both whispers and loud declarations regarding the state of refereeing emerging weekly.
Thus far, there has been no official statement from the GDL board or administrators, but it’s a matter that should be addressed by all clubs and representatives of the referees. Altercations that have involved players, coaches, referees and supporters are detrimental to the development of football.
Following the incident, on Monday morning, Seven’s Academy issued a media statement through their Instagram page. The statement read: “Following the recent incident involving one of our Seven’s Academy coaches and a GDL referee, this incident serves as a reminder that our primary focus in youth football is the benefit and well-being of our young athletes. We must conduct ourselves with integrity, respect, and a commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment.”
While waiting on an investigation from the South African Football Association (SAFA), Seven’s Academy called on everyone involved in youth football to reflect on a shared goal to help the young players grow into honest, respectful, and dedicated athletes, while providing a positive, safe and nurturing space in which they could thrive.
“Together, let’s prioritise the values that truly matter in youth sports – integrity, respect and the well-being of young athletes,” the statement read.
After suffering a loss on Saturday, East Rand Athletic Club ensured they picked up some points on the weekend with a 2-0 win over Elspark United on Sunday. The School of Excellence played to a 1-1 stalemate with Joburg City, while Panorama FC drew 1-1 with Jomo Cosmos.
RESULTS
Saturday, 27 September
Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 Kathorus Hyper Academy
School of Excellence 1-1 Tuks
SuperSport United 2-0 TS Galaxy
Highlands Park 2-0 Randburg AFC
Joburg City 2-1 Jomo Cosmos
Panorama FC 1-0 Wits Junior
Mamelodi Sundowns 2-2 RESA
Sunday, 28 September
Panorama FC 1-1 Jomo Cosmos
East Rand Athletic 2-0 Elspark United
Joburg City 1-1 School of Excellence
Rockefvs 2-1 East Rand Athletic
RESA 3-2 Seven’s Academy
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Rockefvs
