The assistant referee that officiated in the Absa Premiership game between Amazulu and Kaizer Chiefs has been taken off the panel for the next four weeks, according to the PSL head of referees Tenda Masikhwa.
Mervyn van Wyk was one of the assistant referees in the fixture played last month and came in for heavy criticism after Usuthu were denied a clear goal in a match that Chiefs eventually went on to win 2-0.
While there were plenty of controversial decisions taken by the officials in the encounter, Masikhwa said it was Van Wyk’s blunder in the 73rd minute when he incorrectly flagged an Amazulu player offside that will cost him.
The official will not be appointed for any fixtures in the Premiership or first division for the next four weeks and will instead officiate regional matches in Kimberely where he will be assessed by an instructor.
Masikhwa told Kickoff: “Ja no they have indicated their decision. He will not be appointed for any NSL matches for four weeks.
“During those four weeks there’ll be a technical instructor who will be helping him to address his shortcomings. And ja he will have to send a report to the office after the four weeks.
“Then it will be reviewed from there as to whether he will have improved. But in the meantime in those four weeks he will be officiating in the regional league matches.
“It was only the one [goal] that happened in the 73rd minute. The first one, no, it was the correct decision.
“They don’t ask them why he didn’t get it right, what they come up with is that he was supposed to have applied the wait and see technique.”