Who the hell is talking about referees? — Middendorp on Sundowns’ penalty

Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp has questioned why South African Football Association (Safa) technical director Walter Steenbok talks about improving qualifications for coaches in the DStv Premiership but not those of referees.

Middendorp did not directly address the contentious penalty decision by referee Thabo Mkhabela that allowed Lucas Ribeiro to score the 42nd-minute goal that saw Mamelodi Sundowns continue their canter to a seventh successive league title with a 1-0 win against Spurs on Tuesday night.

Mkhabela pointed to the spot at Athlone Stadium when striker Peter Shalulile was fouled by Asenele Velebayi with a challenge that seemed to have taken place on the edge of the area rather than inside it.

The result saw Downs preserve a 13-point lead over second-placed Stellenbosch FC with 10 games for the Brazilians to play (Stellies and most of the chasing teams have seven or eight matches to play).

It also kept promoted Spurs, whose signs of improvement since Middendorp replaced Shaun Bartlett as coach in November have taken a blow with three successive defeats amid five matches without a win, locked in last place on 12 points.

Middendorp also suggested there was something underhand in how Swallows centreback Sipho Sibiya lost the player he was marking to allow Khuda Muyaba to score a winner in Richards Bay’s 1-0 win at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

That result kept second-last placed Bay (17 points) five points ahead of Spurs (both have played 23 matches).

“I must say, really, I’m shocked at how the right centreback of Swallows opened the door and allowed them to score and it brought them three points,” journeyman former Kaizer Chiefs coach Middendorp, known for his dry wit and outspokenness, said.

“I’m totally shocked — I think something like this has nothing to do with soccer.

“And I read a lot from the Safa technical director — and probably he is right and I’ve [also] said it before — that the quality of coaching should be better. More qualifications, more licences, there’s no doubt about it.

“But who the hell is talking about crippling games, talking about the crippling level of referees, about making it [match officiating] professional, about making it more relevant? Who is talking about this department?

“If you talk about crippling players, crippling games and clubs, we should really open a discussion. It’s not only me — I read it from other teams.

“I decided at halftime — and this is probably the last comment I make about it [the penalty decision] — not to waste my time with any decisions from these neutral people on the field.”

The officiating drama in the storm-hit Cape followed Downs being the recipients of a controversial VAR-disallowed goal in Friday's second match at Loftus that saw them progress past Tanzania's Young Africans in their Caf Champions League quarterfinal. 

Steenbok has been driving Safa plans to enforce minimum coaching qualification standards in the Premiership and Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Spurs meet fourth-placed Sekhukhune United next at Peter Mokaba Stadium on April 20.