'Makola ban way too harsh', says ex-Bafana midfielder Dikgacoi

Cape Town - Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi believes the punishment handed out to Cape Town City player Mpho Makola for shoving referee Abongile Tom was too harsh.

After Kaizer Chiefs were awarded a penalty in City's Telkom Knockout opening round defeat to the Soweto giants, Makola lost his cool and shoved Tom, who fell to the turf, but bizarrely the Citizens midfielder received just a yellow card for the indiscretion.

However, the Premier Soccer League has now banned Makola for six-months but Dikgacoi believes the sentence is too punitive.

"It is way too harsh. If you get too emotional you do what you don’t intend to do, sometimes you can’t control your emotions when the situation is heated,” said Dikgacoi in a series on Twitter posts.

"So referees are way more protected than players yeah? I see.... there have been some horrible career-ending tackles but all I saw was players getting suspended for three games.

"I didn’t see him assaulting the referee, unless if shoving is considered assault and I have seen players shoving each other, then that also should be considered assault.”

Cape Town City released a scathing statement calling out the PSL Disciplinary Committee for handing the hearing the in an unfair matter.

The Absa Premiership resumes this weekend after a two-week international break.

The Citizens are set to travel to the Free State to take on Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday, November 27.

That Makola ban is way too harsh

— Kagisho Dikgacoi (@KGDikgacoi) November 15, 2019

So referees are way more protected than players yeah? I see.... there has been some horrible career ending tackles but all I seen was players getting suspended for three games

— Kagisho Dikgacoi (@KGDikgacoi) November 15, 2019

Lol and I don’t think that he also agrees with the punishment (Tom)

— Kagisho Dikgacoi (@KGDikgacoi) November 15, 2019

- TeamTalk Media