Referees keeping South African football behind‚ says Benni McCarthy

It has taken four-and-a-half weeks into his first Premier Soccer League (PSL) season for Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy to bemoan the standard of refereeing in South Africa.

And with good reason‚ too‚ on this occasion it seems.

McCarthy’s City were at the wrong end of referee Khulasande Qongo over-ruling what seemed a legitimate first-half goal in their 1-0 Absa Premiership defeat against Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.

Lehlohonolo Majoro got in to a low cross by Lyle Lakay to win the ball out of Wayne Sandilands’s hands – when the Pirates goalkeeper did not have control of the ball yet – and score in the 32nd minute. Qongo blew for a foul on the keeper.

Thabo Qalinge then scored an 82nd-minute winner for Pirates.

“I think it was a nice game for the fans to see. I have certainly enjoyed myself even though I might have looked a bit frustrated‚” McCarthy‚ in his maiden season as a head coach‚ said.

The former Blackburn Rovers striker paused‚ then continued: “Umm‚ South Africa needs to up our refereeing a little bit.

“I think for me that’s our biggest thing that’s keeping our football a little bit behind – because you see the quality and the talent out there.

“The referee killed a little bit a good game of football. But‚ ja‚ when you are on the losing side people are always going to say‚ ‘Excuses‚ excuses’.

“But I say this every week now‚ since I’ve started my coaching career. Every game I’ve not been happy with the referee with their decision-making – when you score legitimate goals and then it gets disallowed without even giving the coaches an explanation on why.

“When you watch European football‚ referees give the coach an explanation because they’ve got the right to know why goals were disallowed.

“And here it’s: ‘Our way or the highway’. But overall‚ listen‚ we’ve played two of the biggest teams in the country. And I think the boys did incredibly well. They held their own.

“We had chances – we just couldn’t score from them. But I’m very proud of the way we conducted ourselves.

“We respected Pirates but we didn’t fear them. At the end of the day we lost‚ so now it’s back to the drawing board and the next challenge for us is Polokwane City at home (on Friday night).”

City slipped to their second defeat of the season‚ having lost against the other Soweto giants‚ Kaizer Chiefs‚ 2-0 at Cape Town Stadium last Wednesday night‚ which followed a run of five league and cup wins in a row for McCarthy.

 - TimesLIVE