'What is this? A joke?': Benni McCarthy has the streets in meltdown mode over Pirates outburst

Buccaneers fans are not happy with AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy's rant after his team's 1-0 loss to Orlando Pirates on Thursday night.

AmaZulu faced Pirates at the Orlando Stadium and are in second place on the PSL log with 50 points, only four points ahead of their nearest rival, Golden Arrows.

Pirates' Gabadinho Mhango secured victory for Bucs 76 minutes into the match, but McCarthy, who is hoping to qualify AmaZulu for the Caf Champions League, blamed the referee for the outcome of the match.

He implied that ref Siyabulela Qunta was easy on Pirates because coach Josef Zinnbauer's job “is hanging by a thread”. Fans recently called for Zinnbauer's head after the team's loss to Raja Casablanca in Morocco.

“Losing is part of football. I'm not bitter, I can take losing. But when you lose in that manner, not against your opponent but the man in the middle, what is this? A joke? 

“We expect the PSL to raise their standards; but then teams are upping their games but the officiating is diabolical. They can't say the coach is always complaining because today was just a joke.

“Now, what do I say to my players, because they did not lose the game to the opponents ... the man in the middle spoiled the game for everyone,” McCarthy said.

Asked whether his team could have done more to win the game he said: “Look, I don't think we were as good as we could be, as we usually are, but I also don't think they were as good, but it was made easier by the man in the middle,” he told SuperSport.

AmaZulu have two more games to go in the league, against Swallows FC and Maritzburg United. 

McCarthy's rant did not sit well with some fans, who accused him of being a “sore loser”.

They also shared their relief that he had not been given the Bafana Bafana job he was reported to have been in the running for, claiming he may have “embarrassed the nation”.