Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has opened up on their displeasure with the referee in their match against Golden Arrows on Sunday.
Amakhosi suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Abafana Bes’thende in the Betway Premiership at their alternative home venue Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Following the loss, head coach Nasreddine Nabi was shown a red card in the tunnel after expressing his frustration with the match officials’ decisions.
Ben Youssef, stepping in for the suspended Nabi, addressed the media.
When asked about Nabi’s red card, Ben Youssef explained that the coach had complained about the referee’s perceived leniency towards Arrows’ time-wasting tactics.
The Chiefs technical team believed Arrows used substitutions to intentionally waste time and that their players frequently simulated fouls to disrupt the flow of the game.
According to Ben Youssef, the team was angered by the insufficient stoppage time added by the referee, given the frequent interruptions during the match.
BEN YOUSSEF ON NABI’S RED CARD
“Normally, what we know in football, if you make a substitution, it is 30 seconds. So, I give you a question, how many substitutions did we make in the second half? You don’t know,” said Ben Youssef.
“They make five substitutions and we make three substitutions. So, if you count how many times like that.
“The issue with the red card, he went to the referee and said, how do we make this substitution? That’s the normal strategy for Golden Arrows. They try to win the time. Every challenge, [they] will go down.
“Look inside. And you give only three minutes. It [should have been] a minimum of five minutes.
“We played now 12 games. Always five minutes and more than five minutes for extra time. If you give three minutes and then you allow for them, when they try to play, you allow for them.
“You give them time to win the time. You don’t give a yellow card. Like, we feel like he tried to help the opponent team.
“I know it’s a good situation for us. But I don’t want to talk about it.”
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