BFA defends Bondo in head butt incident
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday March 30, 2017 16:09
Held in East London, South Africa the referee appeared to have head butted Angolan player, Paulo Natael.
In a video that went viral on social media, Bondo awards a free kick to the hosts, a decision that did not go down well with the Angolan players who protested.
‘Sprinter’ is seen charging towards Natael, hitting him on the jaw with his head before his outstretched hand appears to intentionally brush the players head.
The incident sparked criticism from some calling for sanctions against the referee.
But the Botswana Football Association (BFA) has defended the lively referee, describing the incident as an ‘honest collision’.
“That is not a head butt. I do not think he did that purposely. It was an honest collision between the player and the referee. I think the incident is just being misinterpreted,” BFA public relations officer, Tumo Mpatane told Mmegi Sport yesterday.
He, however, said the BFA would wait on Bondo to get his side of the story.
“The leaders would have to sit down with him to get more clarity on the incident. Right now it is too early to say much (on the incident). He is a clean referee. He is not that type of a person,” he said.
Bondo has been one of the most outstanding local referees on the international scene. He made history this year as he was the first centre referee to receive an African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) call-up.
He also handled the Africa Youth Champions finals and the CAF club competitions. Bondo’s blossoming career’s fate lies in FIFA’s hands, who are yet to comment on the incident.