Referees' calls for Chiefs are correct – Zwane

Coach Arthur Zwane has reprimanded those who say Kaizer Chiefs get big favours from referees, presuming the colour of his skin is the reason people, including a few of his counterparts, perceive his side as the beneficiaries of dubious refereeing.  

Chiefs have been awarded more penalties (10) than any other team in the DStv Premiership this season. Amakhosi have also played with an extra man nine times in the league this season after their opponents were reduced to 10 men. Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker has publicly deplored officiating when Chiefs are involved.

"If you go and look at all the calls that were made by the referees, the match officials, if I may ask you, what did you see, were they legitimate? If a goalkeeper handles the ball out of his 18-area and then what do you call it?" Zwane asked.

"We played against Richards Bay, we got a red card early in the season in Durban... we won 1-0 and when we got a red card, the score was 0-0, why don't people mention that? I clearly don't understand this. Maybe it's because of the colour of my skin [that makes people think Chiefs benefit]."

Chiefs have also been taken to task for struggling to kill off games even when they're playing against a team with a man down. Zwane implied people who lambast them for failing to capitalise on having an extra man don't know football, making an example of Mamelodi Sundowns, who failed to score against Cape Town City, despite having an extra man in a league match, where Brice Ambina was sent off in the 74th minute on Tuesday.

"In SA we need to look at football differently, in a positive way that can help other people also to understand the game better. I am not saying this because these situations are happening in our favour. Last night, the opposition against Sundowns got a red card and with all the qualities [Sundowns have] as well, you must have seen how Cape Town City defended when they were one man down,'' Zwane explained.

"What makes people say such things is because when you have an advantage of one man, they think you've already won the game and that actually becomes more dangerous because you think you have an advantage of an extra player but the other team double if not triple their effort."