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Pirates escape punishment? | 'Someone should have walked here'

An Orlando Pirates player should have received a red card during the side's shock defeat to Magesi FC in the Last 16 of the Carling Knockout, according to former PSL referee Victor Hlungwani. 

The Soweto giants' League Cup curse continued as they fell to newly-promoted Magesi on Saturday. 

A Delano Abrahams strike, a penalty from Edmore Chirambadare and Thabiso Sesane's own goal, all in the first half, were enough to secure a quarter-final spot for Clinton Larsen's charges. 

READ Magesi coach: What I told Riveiro after the match...

Despite Pirates' gallant effort that saw them score twice in the final four minutes, via Evidence Makgopa and Kabelo Dlamini, it was not enough as the match finished 3-2. 

Reviewing the match on SABC Sport's SoccerZone, Hlungwani has revealed that Jose Riveiro's men were, in fact, fortunate to finish the encounter with all 11 players on the pitch as midfielder Selaelo Rasebotja should have received his marching orders in the first half.

"On the Pirates one, there was serious foul play. Someone should have walked here," Hlungwani emphasised.

"But let's define foul play: a tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent by using one or two legs. The player is guilty of serious foul play and must be sent off. 

"Selaelo there survived! If you can check there, you can see he went for the ankle. So, that player should have been sent off for serious foul play. He survived."

ALSO READRiveiro weighs in on Rasebotja performance

The home side were also denied a dramatic late equaliser as linesman Zakhele Siwela ruled out Mohau Nkota's close-range strike in added time.

"Here we applaud Zakhele Siwela from Alex for making a great decision. Here there is an offiside by Nkota," Hlungwani explained.

"You will see that Zakhele, a highly experienced referee in our league who was at the World Cup, he sees that the player is one-metre offside. it was a 'sdudla' offside.

"I don't know why the players ran to him because because that was a very big offside, a whole metre offside. Therefore, the correct decision by the referee."

The men in Black and White will have little time to dwell on their defeat as their next test comes in the form of SuperSport United on Tuesday at Orlando Stadium.

Kick off is at 19:30.

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