Stellenbosch FC head coach, Steve Barker, lashed out at referee Mkhwanazi Tshidiso, following Stellies 2-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in DStv Premiership.
Inside the first ten minutes, Mkhwanazi awarded Kaizer Chiefs a controversial penalty when Olwethu Makhanya was judged to have brought down Ashley Du Preez inside the box.
The Chiefs forward stood up and slotted the penalty into the back of the net. Six minutes later things went from bad to worse for Stellies when goalkeeper Sage Stephens was shown a straight red card for handling the ball outside the box – denying Keagan Dolly – a goal scoring opportunity.
Midway through the first half, Dolly made it 2-0 with a shot outside the box. Ibraheem Jabaar made it 2-1 early in the second half.
“Unfortunately, it’s not often that I get upset as I am, we don’t given, enough time to cool down so I’m going to tell it as it is,” Barker told SuperSport after the match.
“I think Kaizer Chiefs must have practice sessions against ten players more often than any other club. It seems like that is all they play against, ten men at training and penalties and that’s all. For me it was one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve ever witnessed.
“I don’t deny that some of the tackles and freekicks against them were there, but we never got one. How many free kicks around the box that Kaizer Chiefs got? Seven, eight or nine and how many did we did? Not even one?
“When you get a red card down a man, what can I say? The boys came back in the second half, a far better team and we were unlucky not to get a point.
“It’s tough to play away from home, against a big crowd and a good team and then you go a man down – decisions go against you. What can I say, I can be proud of the second half. I thought in the first half we were too passive; we didn’t play with enough aggression and intensity.
“In the second half, I thought we put enough effort, yes they had their chances. I thought we deserved at least a point.”
By Zola Doda