Mokoena reveals cheeky message to referee after Pirates penalty miss

Teboho Mokoena told referee Abongile Tom “God is great” after Orlando Pirates missed the penalty he had conceded in the MTN8 final.

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Pirates 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban this past weekend to win the competition for the first time since 2021.

The victory also ended Pirates’ four-year dominance of the MTN8, with the Buccaneers having lifted the trophy in each of the previous four seasons.

Mokoena played a decisive role in a match that saw him move from scorer to central figure in a controversial moment. He opened the scoring after only 11 minutes, giving Sundowns an early advantage.

However, just before the hour mark, Tom awarded Pirates a penalty after ruling that Mokoena had pushed a Pirates player inside the box.

Mokoena strongly disagreed with the decision and tried to argue his case with the referee, but the penalty was upheld.

Gamphani Lungu took responsibility for the spot-kick, only for his effort to be saved by Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. The save delighted Mokoena and preserved Sundowns’ lead.

Reflecting on the incident after the final, Mokoena explained what he said to Tom once Williams had kept out the penalty.

“I just said to Mr Ref: ‘God is great!’” Mokoena told Supersport.

Sundowns went on to secure a 2-0 victory and reclaim the MTN8 title, with the result denying Pirates a fifth consecutive triumph in the competition.