Khune: Bassey’s Equaliser Against South Africa Should Have Been Cancelled
Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, has expressed disappointment over the referee’s decision to allow Calvin Bassey’s equaliser in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying clash between Nigeria and South Africa.
South Africa had taken the lead in the 25th minute after William Troost-Ekong mistakenly slotted the ball into his own net. However, Bassey restored parity for the Super Eagles just before halftime with a powerful header.
Replays showed that the ball struck Bassey’s hand before crossing the line. South African players immediately protested, but the referee waved away appeals, and the goal stood.
Khune, speaking on SABC, insisted that the strike should have been disallowed:
“I don’t know how the referee missed that, he was in a good position to see. If he didn’t see it, his linesman could’ve seen it, because when you look at Bassey, he jumped more than anyone else. With VAR, that goal doesn’t stand.”
Opinion: The VAR Debate That Won’t Go Away
Khune’s comments reignite a familiar debate in African football — the glaring absence of VAR in crucial qualifiers. At the highest level of the game, such moments can decide the fate of entire nations, yet decisions are still left to human error.
On one hand, South Africa may feel robbed, and rightly so. Football is a game of fine margins, and conceding a goal that arguably shouldn’t have stood alters the psychology and flow of a contest.
On the other hand, Nigeria will argue that officiating errors are part of the game and that the referee’s call is final. After all, they too have suffered from poor refereeing in past tournaments.
But the bigger picture is clear: CAF must prioritise VAR in World Cup qualifiers. If African football wants to match global standards and give fair chances to its teams, technology is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity.
Otherwise, the continent risks more “what if” stories, where qualification dreams hang not on players’ brilliance, but on referees’ blind spots.
