Former FIFA Referee Ace Ncobo Explains Disallowed Yanga Goal vs Mamelodi Sundowns

• Ace Ncobo has explained why Yanga's goal vs Mamelodi Sundowns was disallowed
• The former FIFA referee discussed why the on-field decision stood despite VAR
• The Tanzanians thought they had taken the lead after Stephane Aziz Ki's strike

Former FIFA referee, Ace Ncobo, has delved into the contentious disallowed goal situation involving Young Africans (Yanga) against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ncobo has highlighted why the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not intervene despite Yanga's claims.

The Tanzanian reigning champions, notably coach Miguel Gamondi, expressed outrage following a controversial call during the match after Stephane Aziz Ki's powerful strike appeared to have crossed the goal line before rebounding into Ronwen Williams' grasp.

Referee Dahane Beida's decision to invalidate the goal ignited discussions among fans and players alike, with the East African club even lodging an official protest with CAF, alleging unfair treatment.

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Ncobo offered a clear explanation, citing an 'optical illusion' as the crux of the matter.

"You can see a clear day light between the ball and the line, but when you take a camera from the side, you can actually see that a huge portion of the ball is above the line. That’s optical illusion. The only camera that matters is the one that’s in line with the goal-line," he argued, as reported by iDiski Times.

Regarding VAR's role, he clarified that its purpose is not to dictate decisions but to assess if the referee's call was 'obviously wrong'.

Jerome Damon, another former FIFA referee and VAR instructor, also weighed in on the matter. Damon stressed that VAR's mandate is to overturn decisions only if there is indisputable evidence of an error.

“That is the protocol of VAR, to check if the decision was obviously wrong. It means if there were 32 cameras, they would have been given all the angles to see which angle would be the best to overturn the decision. So, they had then concluded that there wasn’t a conclusive angle," he explained in an interview with SABC, as reported by Far Post.

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Ronwen Williams continues penalty heroics vs Yanga

Sports Brief reported that Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, produced another brilliant penalty shootout showing against Yanga, earning rave reviews online.

Williams saved two penalties as Masandawana booked their place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League by beating Young Africans.

The South African side eliminated Yanga on penalties after their two-legged tie ended 0-0.