The match also saw a scuffle break towards the end and it resulted in Usuthu defender Abbubaker Mobara being sent off.
“Earlier in the game, just before Eva got the yellow card, the first assistant referee, I think Eva said, 'Something happened in front of you and you didn't see it' and the assistant referee said to him, 'You talk too much, I'm coming for you',” Kopo explained.
“Thirty seconds later, Eva gets a yellow card and we say to him, 'You are threatening us. You cannot threaten us. If I say to a referee, I'm coming for you I will get sent off'.
“I said to Thando Ndzandzeka [referee] what you are doing is wrong. Why did I say that? Etiosa Ighodaro earlier in the game commits a foul with his elbow on the fullback, he doesn't get a talking to and he doesn't get a yellow card.
“And a few other fouls happened like that and I immediately said, we are going to get a first yellow card. But anyway, after that commotion, Eva comes back.
“He is still having a go at the assistant, and now I'm trying to block the assistant referee I don't know if you saw me, but I'm trying to block him because he is charging at Eva and then he says to my assistant coach, 'Ask him which country he is from this is my country he must respect me'.
“That's what got me ruffled up. That is a xenophobic statement to make, we cannot accept and allow that in our football, we cannot only in football but in society.”
Kopo added that they are likely to file a complaint.
“The sad thing is that if you say anything to them, they hold all the power they will tell you, 'I will send you off now',” he said.
“Now, how do we deal with the situation where a Fifa-accredited match official says to a Cameroonian player, which country are you from? This is my country, you must respect me.”
SowetanLIVE
Kopo accuses assistant ref of making xenophobic remarks
'We cannot accept and allow that in our football'
Image: Darren Stewart
Chippa United coach Kwanele Kopo has accused assistant referee Kamohelo Ramutsindela of making xenophobic statements towards their striker Bienvenu Eva Nga during their 0-2 defeat against AmaZulu in the Betway Premiership match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday.
Kopo alleges that Ramutsindela stated that Eva Nga is not a South African and cannot speak like he wants.
The match also saw a scuffle break towards the end and it resulted in Usuthu defender Abbubaker Mobara being sent off.
“Earlier in the game, just before Eva got the yellow card, the first assistant referee, I think Eva said, 'Something happened in front of you and you didn't see it' and the assistant referee said to him, 'You talk too much, I'm coming for you',” Kopo explained.
“Thirty seconds later, Eva gets a yellow card and we say to him, 'You are threatening us. You cannot threaten us. If I say to a referee, I'm coming for you I will get sent off'.
“I said to Thando Ndzandzeka [referee] what you are doing is wrong. Why did I say that? Etiosa Ighodaro earlier in the game commits a foul with his elbow on the fullback, he doesn't get a talking to and he doesn't get a yellow card.
“And a few other fouls happened like that and I immediately said, we are going to get a first yellow card. But anyway, after that commotion, Eva comes back.
“He is still having a go at the assistant, and now I'm trying to block the assistant referee I don't know if you saw me, but I'm trying to block him because he is charging at Eva and then he says to my assistant coach, 'Ask him which country he is from this is my country he must respect me'.
“That's what got me ruffled up. That is a xenophobic statement to make, we cannot accept and allow that in our football, we cannot only in football but in society.”
Kopo added that they are likely to file a complaint.
“The sad thing is that if you say anything to them, they hold all the power they will tell you, 'I will send you off now',” he said.
“Now, how do we deal with the situation where a Fifa-accredited match official says to a Cameroonian player, which country are you from? This is my country, you must respect me.”
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