SAFA Referees Chief Breaks Silence on Luxolo Badi’s Pirates Scandal

The referee at the heart of the storm, Luxolo Badi, has been under fire since old social media posts allegedly showing he once backed Orlando Pirates started doing the rounds. The timing could not be worse for him. He was in charge of the Soweto Derby, which Pirates won 2-1 over Kaizer Chiefs, and critics say his decisions in that match tipped the result toward the Buccaneers.

Now SAFA has finally spoken, through its Head of Referees, Abdul Ebrahim. Fans were hoping for answers, but he did not give them. When reporters asked straight up whether referees have to declare any club loyalties and what the rules are for conflicts of interest, he dodged the questions about Badi completely. Instead, he moaned about how little the public understands football rules. He blamed broadcasters like SuperSport and SABC for not educating viewers and even suggested newspapers should print the rulebook so fans can follow the decisions better.

Many supporters are not buying it. To them, it looks like SAFA is pointing the finger at the fans instead of owning up to a possible conflict of interest. Rival supporters are already speculating about what is being hidden, and there is still no clear word on whether Badi will be reviewed or sanctioned.

The pressure is not only coming from the allegations. Former referee Victor Hlungwani broke down the derby and claimed Badi and his assistants made big mistakes. He pointed to a Pirates goal that should have been ruled offside and a Pirates player who should have been sent off for a second bookable offence. Put all of that together with the bias claims and it is easy to see why fans are asking whether the result was fair.

Meanwhile, the PSL is pushing again for VAR to be introduced. PSL Chairman Irvin Khoza says the league backs the idea, but the job of rolling it out sits with SAFA, which has set up a committee to look into it. Until SAFA gives straight answers on referee transparency and accountability, the doubt hanging over South African football is not going anywhere.

So here is the question for every football fan out there: if a referee has a past link to a club, should he be benched from that club’s games, or is that just punishing someone for having a favourite team? Drop your take in the comments and tell us who you think is really to blame here.

Source https://x.com/Soccer_Laduma/status/2117655606739796207