Former Referee Baffled by Unpunished Mukoko Headbutt Against Orlando Pirates

An ex-referee has expressed his dismay at the lack of punishment for St Eloi Lupopo defender Dieumerci Mukoko following his headbutt on an Orlando Pirates player. Former South Africa referee Victor Hlungwani has expressed his confusion over the decision not to send off Saint-Eloi Lupopo player Dieumerci Mukoko for an apparent off-the-ball headbutt on Orlando Pirates' Masindi Nemtajela. Mukoko gained notoriety for his on-field antics when his team eliminated Pirates from the CAF Champions League on Saturday. Pirates fought back from a 3-0 loss in the first leg to win the return match 3-0 on Saturday for a 3-3 draw on aggregate but met their waterloo in the post-match penalty shootouts. PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports However, before the shootouts, Mukoko had been a nuisance throughout the game at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, rolling down at every contact while starting fist fights. One particular incident went unpunished as he headbutted Nemtajela before making a throat-slitting gesture but he remained on the pitch while his team-mate, Chris Sumbu, was mistakenly shown a red card. Hlungwani, popularly known as 'The Principal', analysed the incident on South Africa's state broadcaster SABC, drawing parallels with another such famous incident that was severely punished years ago. "He does what [Zinedine] Zidane did - headbutting. This is a red card! This is violent conduct because the ball is out of play," said Hlungwani. "He was supposed to get a red card, but they sent off number four, which is Sumbu. Was he the correct player? The answer is no," he added while disagreeing with the referee's decision. Mukoko has since become an online sensation for his theatrics as his team looks forward to the Champions League group stage draw.