DURBAN – Cape Town City boss Benni McCarthy may find himself in hot water again with the Premier Soccer League after having a go at South African referees.
McCarthy questioned the standard of officiating on Saturday night after City earned a point in a 2-2 draw against Lamontville Golden Arrows at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu.
Ayanda Patosi and Thabo Nodada scored the goals that brought City back into the match after Siphelele Magubane and Jabulani Shongwe put Abafana Bes’thende in the lead earlier on.
All the games on Saturday ended in stalemates. Chippa United drew with Mamelodi Sundowns at home and Maritzburg United shared the spoils with Bidvest Wits.
“Do you guys want my honest opinion about why there have been a lot of draws? It has been because of bad refereeing. That’s what is causing us to draw. Why must I shy away (from saying that),” McCarthy said.
“The referee is telling my players to f*** off, and we must say the referees are good. That’s what is causing the problem because if we had good officials, we will have matches that are fair. Teams will run away with games.
“Most referees keep teams in the game. We don’t have officials who are taking care of the game because they are worried about their own egos, and as coaches and players, it is frustrating standing on the side.
“We see it happening week-in and week-out.”
McCarthy recently appeared before the PSL disciplinary committee for his remarks on the match officials after the game against Chippa United.
“Every game it is the same thing, and we as coaches must bite our tongue and keep quiet because if you don’t, you get fined or suspended. That’s what is causing the league to draw so many games.
“We don’t have the best officials. Our referees need to be f***ing better man,” McCarthy exclaimed.
Aubrey Ngoma made his first appearance after returning from the injury that kept him out of action for five months.
McCarthy heaped praise on Ngoma for the impact he had on the match.
Aubrey Ngoma made his long-awaited return from injury on Saturday, and it has Benni McCarthy excited. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
“A point is better than no point. The boys showed some fighting spirit and we came back. It looked like it was lost and we were out. We were three points down, and I’m happy with the fact that the boys were able to come back. It was good fighting spirit,” he said.
“For me, it was so lovely to have Aubrey back from his injury. He was able to get through the game without any knocks. That was the biggest positive for me of the game, and the impact that he had in the game when he came in.
“From what I saw, next game I will be looking to throw him in straight away because he brings intelligence to the team. His presence is vital. He was super important for the team last season. This season he was unfortunate that he got injured. Now he is back and he is slowly come back.
“At training, he looks like he is flying. He should be playing from what I see at training, but matches and training are completely different. We have to gradually bring him back into the team until he is fit and confident. Having him back is like having a new player.”
City are third on the log after 11 league outings.
“We were 2-0 down against the team that is second on the log and playing very well. Overall, one point is one point. At least we are picking up points here and there. It keeps us in the mix,” McCarthy said.
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