sportskeeda
After suffering a disappointing 3-1 loss at home against AmaZulu at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday, Richards Bay interim coach Ronnie Gabriel voiced his frustrations and questioned the legitimacy of Usuthu’s second goal scored by Etiosa Ighodaro.
Rather than accepting the defeat, Gabriel expressed doubts about the validity of one of AmaZulu’s goals, implying that fatigue from travel might have hindered his team’s performance.
Gabriel primarily focused on AmaZulu’s second goal, which he firmly asserted was not valid. “I’ve watched the replays now,” Gabriel stated. “That was not a goal, I’m saying this openly. That so-called goal deflated us. Had that incident not happened, we could have equalized.”
While the Bay camp had anticipated a “new-manager bounce” following the appointment of a trio of interim coaches after Brandon Truter’s resignation on Thursday, Gabriel’s remarks suggested a team weighed down by external factors rather than addressing internal challenges.
Gabriel not only criticized the officiating but also attributed his players’ sluggishness to the packed schedule leading up to the match. “I think today’s performance was largely affected by our recent games. We played Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday, traveled back on Thursday, had just one day here in Durban, and then took on AmaZulu today,” he observed.
He depicted a team that appeared overwhelmed: “In the first half, it was evident that we were somewhat sluggish. We were always second to everything. Our sharpness was lacking.”
Nonetheless, Gabriel acknowledged his team’s faults, describing the first half as “disappointing.” However, he quickly redirected focus away from the players, stating, “It’s not that the players weren’t following instructions or anything like that. We simply lacked sharpness in the first half, and today’s circumstances were beyond our control.”
The Natal Rich Boys’ defeat leaves them at the bottom of the Betway Premiership standings, with little time to rectify their situation. Gabriel’s attempts to shift blame onto referee decisions and travel issues do little to conceal the deeper problems plaguing the KZN team.
In contrast, AmaZulu, guided by coaches Vusumuzi Vilakazi and Arthur Zwane, effectively capitalized on their opportunities, exposing Richards Bay’s defensive frailties. The away side showed no mercy, ensuring that their local rivals continued to struggle.
Richards Bay’s upcoming match will require more than excuses or discussions about officiating as they prepare to face SuperSport United at home on Friday. Whether Gabriel and his fellow interim coaches can motivate the team for a crucial turnaround remains to be seen—but time is running out in their fight for survival.
