FREE State Stars coach Tom Saintfiet hit out at referee Thando Ndzandzeka on Saturday for not protecting one of his players and denying them what he perceives to have been a clear goal.
A few minutes before half time, Stars left-back Bokang Tlhone was blatantly kicked in the face by Orlando Pirates winger Khethokwakhe Masuku.
Tlhone was immediately taken off and rushed to hospital with a broken jaw.
Ndzandzeka and his team of officials did not see the kick and Masuku got away with the crime.
"I am still full of fire and disappointment. A player after 42 minutes gets a kick in his face and has broken a jaw, nobody sees anything. There are four people looking at it and nobody sees it. The guy is in hospital with a broken jaw," the Belgian coach said.
Ea Lla Koto thought they had found a dramatic late equaliser when Moeketsi Sekola got his head onto a corner kick which was whipped in from the right, but Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus cleared the ball off the line. Saintfiet feels the ball had gone over the line.
"I got an SMS from London from my brother. He knows already that the ball was clearly behind the line. It could have been 1-1," Saintfiet said.
"We are not playing in a township. We are playing in a big stadium. Everybody on the pitch has to do his job. The ball was behind the line and it was a clear goal."
Saintfiet calmed down later in the press conference and praised his compatriot Glenn Verbauwhede, the Stars goalkeeper who pulled off a number of good saves.
Stars dropped to 10th place after the setback.
Saintfiet hits out at ref after player hurt
FREE State Stars coach Tom Saintfiet hit out at referee Thando Ndzandzeka on Saturday for not protecting one of his players and denying them what he perceives to have been a clear goal.
A few minutes before half time, Stars left-back Bokang Tlhone was blatantly kicked in the face by Orlando Pirates winger Khethokwakhe Masuku.
Tlhone was immediately taken off and rushed to hospital with a broken jaw.
Ndzandzeka and his team of officials did not see the kick and Masuku got away with the crime.
"I am still full of fire and disappointment. A player after 42 minutes gets a kick in his face and has broken a jaw, nobody sees anything. There are four people looking at it and nobody sees it. The guy is in hospital with a broken jaw," the Belgian coach said.
Ea Lla Koto thought they had found a dramatic late equaliser when Moeketsi Sekola got his head onto a corner kick which was whipped in from the right, but Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus cleared the ball off the line. Saintfiet feels the ball had gone over the line.
"I got an SMS from London from my brother. He knows already that the ball was clearly behind the line. It could have been 1-1," Saintfiet said.
"We are not playing in a township. We are playing in a big stadium. Everybody on the pitch has to do his job. The ball was behind the line and it was a clear goal."
Saintfiet calmed down later in the press conference and praised his compatriot Glenn Verbauwhede, the Stars goalkeeper who pulled off a number of good saves.
Stars dropped to 10th place after the setback.
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