Pitso Dladla explains Golden Arrows’ away-goal confusion with Sede Junior Dion

Golden Arrows head coach Pitso Dladla has explained a confusing exchange with striker Sede Junior Dion after their dramatic match against Sundowns finished 3-3 on aggregate.

Dion was seen celebrating with his team-mates on the touchline after Golden Arrows scored in the 90th minute, believing the goal had put his side 3-2 ahead. The result would have left the tie level and sent it to a penalty shootout.

However, the goal did not give Golden Arrows the advantage Dion initially thought it had. Because of the away-goal rule, the situation favoured Sundowns, who had scored more than once away from home while Golden Arrows had scored only one away goal.

The Ivorian forward, who had also scored earlier in the match, joined the celebrations instead of returning immediately to the field as the game reached its closing stages.

Dladla, meanwhile, was pictured urging his players to get back into position because another goal was still required.

“We were anticipating scenarios like this,” he said on SuperSport TV.

“If Sundowns score more than one goal, this means the away goal rule advantage is with them because we only scored one goal.

“So, when I spoke to him [Dion], he did not know the real score of the game. He thought we were leading 3-2.

“And then I said, no, it’s 3-3, meaning that the away goal rule goes to them [Sundowns].”

The exchange highlighted the confusion surrounding the aggregate score and the significance of the away-goal rule in the final moments of an already closely contested tie.

Dion’s reaction suggested that he believed the late strike had moved Golden Arrows in front on aggregate. Dladla’s response was intended to make clear that the overall score was level at 3-3, while Sundowns held the decisive advantage because of the number of away goals they had scored.

As the players celebrated near the touchline, Dladla’s focus remained on restarting the match quickly. His gestures showed that Golden Arrows could not treat the goal as enough to settle the contest and still needed to attack again.

The coach said his team had prepared for possible developments involving the away-goal calculation, but acknowledged that Dion had not understood the actual score when the late goal went in.

The incident occurred during a pulsating finish, with the tie still alive after Golden Arrows’ 90th-minute goal. Dion had contributed to the afternoon’s contest with a goal of his own, before becoming involved in the late misunderstanding.

Dladla’s explanation was therefore centred on correcting the striker’s assumption: the goal had made the aggregate score 3-3, not 3-2 in Golden Arrows’ favour, and the away-goal advantage remained with Sundowns.