After a contentious winning goal scored by Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi could not hide his frustration with match officials following his side’s Betway Premiership defeat to the Brazilians at FNB Stadium over the weekend.
With the scores locked at 1-1 just after the half-hour mark, Sundowns’ Lucas Ribeiro crossed for Iqraam Rayners who scored the goal. However, replays suggested that Ribeiro may have been offside.
It was the first loss for Chiefs who had won their first two encounters of the season to spark renewed optimism about the hopes of the Soweto Giants, who have not won the league in a decade.
Nabi did not hold his punches after the match, as he said: "We talk to referee, [saying] the goal is big offside, two-metre. We go to the [change] room, 'you don't need to give me a gift' I said to him.
Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi on Edson Castillo and Ranga Chivaviro. pic.twitter.com/IOqqCr7jLV
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) September 29, 2024
‘I don’t need a gift’
“I don't need a gift, he needs to respect the rules of game. But it's not an excuse. If I lose, I lose. I continue cooking.”
Still, the loss would have come as a bitter pill to swallow for Nabi who had made such a bright start to his campaign, in probably one of the most pressurised jobs in South African football.
“You want to win every time, you have a winning mentality, for that … after the goal of Sundowns, we observed some players were down. The demons of last year came back after the goal of Sundowns.
“This mentality I don’t accept that, it’s possible to concede a goal but that mentality [that I saw] I don’t accept that. I don’t accept that.”