sportskeeda
Kaizer Chiefs’ head coach Nasreddine Nabi has expressed his dissatisfaction with referee Eugene Mdluli regarding his oversight during the Betway Premiership match against Polokwane City on Sunday, which concluded with a 2-0 defeat for the Chiefs at Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Nabi emphasized that his critique goes beyond the match outcome; it also addresses the serious injury sustained by left-back Bradley Cross, a situation he believes was avoidable. He conveyed his concerns about the referee’s insufficient reaction to the incident.
A win for the Chiefs could have moved them up to fourth place in the league, but after this defeat, they currently sit in ninth with 11 points from eight matches. Polokwane City capitalized on the Chiefs’ struggles, securing a 2-0 victory with goals from Oswin Appollis and Mokibelo Ramabu, which lifted them to third place.
“You may recall that my player Edson Castillo is out for six months? I spoke to the referee and the media, and I’m often branded as aggressive towards referees. I want to make it clear that I am not aggressive; I have great respect for the referees because without them, football cannot exist,” Nabi mentioned.
“I usually avoid discussing referees, but today (the performance was disappointing). I care about the image of the PSL, and we had two penalty appeals, and now we have Bradley Cross sidelined – this is simply not acceptable.
“If I lose, I lose; that doesn’t mean I’m a bad coach or anything like that, but I really dislike losing under these circumstances, especially due to officiating errors. Look at the Cross incident; when you think about it, he could be sidelined for two months because of this injury.
“This is about unfulfilled expectations. I have respect for our opponents and the referees, but I expect the same respect in return. The primary duty of FIFA referees is to ensure the safety of the players.
“How many of my players have been hospitalized? This is simply unacceptable. I voice these concerns to protect myself because I’ve lost. The solution seems clear to me. However, I feel disheartened by this defeat because our fans came out to support us, and I regret letting them down by losing these three points.”
Despite a shaky start to the season, with three wins, three losses, and two draws, Nabi remains optimistic about the team’s direction. “Anyone who understands football can see that Kaizer Chiefs is heading in the right direction,” he asserted.
The Chiefs’ next match is against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Monday, which is Reconciliation Day.
