Safa asks match officials to pick up their act
Safa says it is paying attention and attending to the recent spate of below-par performances by some referees in top-flight games.
Cape Town City FC Coach Benni McCarthy appeals to the assitant referee during the Absa Premiership match between Cape Town City FC and Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium. (Photo by Shaun Roy/Gallo Images)
Referees have come under criticism from Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches and club bosses in recent months for poor officiating.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane and Cape Town City mentor Benni McCarthy have often expressed their displeasure at the standard of refereeing in the PSL, with Mosimane going as far as asking for a private meeting with the match officials.
READ: Mosimane calls for private talks with match officials
Now Safa has finally commented on officiating in the League.
Safa head of referees Tenda Masikhwa said that while eradicating human error was virtually impossible in any sport, his association was working thoroughly to minimise some of the avoidable mistakes.
Masikhwa told the Safa website: “We acknowledge that teams invest a lot of resources in running their business. We have seen some borderline game-changing decisions in some matches, for example, the Bloemfontein Celtic/Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City/Bidvest Wits and a few others just to mention a few. While match officials are only human and are prone to making mistakes, some of the blunders are unacceptable and we ask match officials as professionals, to jerk up their act.
“Much as our officials are among the best on the continent, mistakes are part of the game but we are working flat out to eradicate unnecessary and costly mistakes among our officials.”
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