Kaizer Chiefs manager Fernando da Cruz has voiced his dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions made during his team's 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in Saturday's Soweto Derby, raising concerns about how certain incidents were handled by the match officials.

The French coach shared his disappointment after Amakhosi lost to their city rivals in front of a packed FNB Stadium during their Betway Premiership meeting.

Pirates secured the victory with goals from Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi, while Pule Mmodi found the net for Chiefs. Although the Buccaneers celebrated an important derby triumph, the decisions made by the referee became another major subject of discussion after the final whistle.

Da Cruz was particularly concerned about an incident involving a Pirates player that he believed deserved closer attention from the officials. The Chiefs coach felt the challenge could have warranted a red card, questioning whether the referee had properly assessed the situation before allowing play to continue.

His reaction has added another dimension to discussions about refereeing standards in South African football, especially when high-profile encounters involve the country's biggest clubs.

The Chiefs manager had also expressed reservations about Pirates' opening goal during the match. He reportedly believed there was an offside position in the attacking move leading to Mbuthuma's goal and questioned why the effort was allowed to stand.

Nevertheless, the controversial incidents did not change the outcome, as Chiefs struggled to find another equaliser after Moremi scored Pirates' decisive goal in the 55th minute.

The defeat represents Da Cruz's first loss in the Betway Premiership since taking charge of Kaizer Chiefs. It also ended the club's unbeaten league record and allowed Orlando Pirates to move to the top of the standings.

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DtyGa5uoe/