SERGIO DOS SANTOS BREAKS SILENCE ON SOWETO DERBY REFEREEING AS CONTROVERSY EMERGES

SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL NEWS | 4 NOVEMBER 2026

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Sergio Dos Santos has raised concerns about the officiating during the latest Soweto Derby, suggesting that the match officials' performance left him unimpressed.

The highly anticipated encounter between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates once again attracted enormous attention from South African football supporters, with the two Soweto giants battling for bragging rights and valuable league points.

However, discussions following the match have not been limited to the performance of the players, as questions surrounding the refereeing have also become part of the post-match conversation.

Dos Santos, who previously coached Amakhosi, made his feelings known when discussing the officiating team. Although he stopped short of blaming the referee for the outcome, his comments indicated that he was not entirely satisfied with how certain decisions were handled.

"I'm not gonna say the referee decided the game," Dos Santos was quoted as saying.

His statement is particularly significant because it reflects the difficult balance between acknowledging questionable officiating and recognising that the result of a football match is determined by several factors.

Source https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2117905344064098474