TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic has expressed his frustrations with Premier Soccer League referees in South Africa after his side’s goalless draw with Kaizer Chiefs.
The Germany-born tactician saw his team hold Amakhosi to a goalless draw on Tuesday, collecting an important point in the relegation battle.
Ramovic first stated on Tuesday that he was happy with the match official of the Chiefs game.
“I would like to say that we didn’t have this kind of quality ref in the last games but I have to congratulate the referee today,” he said after the match.
“He did a good job. Last game I also said it out loud, the penalty that we got, it absolutely wasn’t a penalty, I don’t need some gifts, I need some proper job. If it’s a penalty they should give it, if not they should not.”
However, when he was asked whether his and club president Tim Sukazi’s continuous talk about referees frees his players of some responsibility, Ramovic insisted the level of refereeing in South Africa needs to improve.
“I said it also that our main problem is that we don’t score,” he added.
“In the end we have to improve, but it is also a question of quality maybe in the end, but we have to improve because the good thing is that we play well, we come into the last third.
“But you also have to agree, when we play and we should get penalties and we don’t get, then of course I ask myself the ref should do the job because its killing our game.
“In the game against SuperSport, for example, we didn’t get three penalties and we lost two points. So what should I do, stay calm or what? Of course I’ll say the truth.
“But in the end I also say the penalty that we got now in the previous game [vs Royal AM], it was not a penalty, so I also say that to be fair.
“But you have to agree with me that the referees here in South Africa are not of the standard they could be and I’m not the only one saying it. I think there are a lot of coaches that would agree with me.
“I don’t want to blame the refs because we’re down. But if I say we should improve, the refs should also improve.”
The point against Chiefs took Galaxy out of the relegation zone, but they sit just one point ahead of 15th-placed Swallows, who have two games in hand, and two points above 16th-placed Baroka, who played one game less.
