Malesela questions refs' fitness after loss to Chiefs

Marumo Gallants' coach Dan "Dance" Malesela felt hard done by the match officials in the match against Kaizer Chiefs, which they lost 2-1, at Toyota Stadium on Saturday.

In his assessment of the officials' performance, Malesela implied the trio was unfit and incompetent.

Gallants took the lead as early as the eighth minute via Sekela Sithole's effort that deflected off Chiefs' Inacio Miguel. Mduduzi Shabalala restored parity nine minutes later, before substitute Mfundo Vilakazi netted the winner in the 79th minute, three minutes after Marumo were reduced to 10 men following referee Masixole Mambiso sending off Joseph Malongoane for a foul on another Chiefs substitute Wandile Dube just outside the box. 

"Sometimes in football, you wish you could just say the truth as it is but because you respect the rules governing football, you'll keep quiet. It's not discouraging but saddening that our football is still where it is. I mean, we're not moving forward,'' Malesela told SuperSport TV.

"But really as early as this time, we're expecting people [match officials] to be fresh but as early as this time there are so many errors, so many doubts and all these things... then you question the level of fitness of people or the ability of people to be able to handle matches.''

Despite the defeat, the Dance implied they were on the right track, claiming they deserved to win what was their Betway Premiership opener at a sold-out Bloemfontein venue.

"The good thing about us is we can see where we are going... there's a sense of direction. On a different day, we'd be able to deal with many teams. The sad part is that we lost... the worst-case scenario we should have got a draw.

"I really think we deserve to win somehow... yes, I know they had a lot of chances,'' Malesela said.

Marumo's next league game is away to Golden Arrows on Saturday.

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