Johannesburg – Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has raised serious concerns about officiating in the Betway Premiership after his side went down 1-0 to Kaizer Chiefs in Durban on Saturday.
The match was settled by a 69th-minute debut strike from Portuguese forward Flavio Silva at Moses Mabhida Stadium, but much of the post-match discussion centred on a disputed penalty incident earlier in the game.
In the 57th minute, Arrows midfielder Sandile Sithole was brought down in the box after a double challenge from Thabiso Monyane and Inacio Miguel. The Arrows bench reacted furiously, but the referee waved play on, leaving Mngqithi convinced his team were denied a legitimate penalty.
“We created what I think was a clear penalty. Maybe in South Africa things are different, but for me it was clear,” Mngqithi told reporters after the match.
The coach, however, admitted his side had opportunities beyond the controversial moment. “I wouldn’t want to use the penalty as the only deciding factor because we also had chances. Jobe’s effort on the counter-attack was a very good opportunity,” he said.
Mngqithi, who previously worked at Mamelodi Sundowns, joined other coaches in calling for Video Assistant Referee technology in the PSL. “Sometimes when you look at decisions on penalties and fouls, I don’t think we are winning much without VAR. Referees are given carte blanche to do what they want, even if the decision is atrocious,” he argued.
He went further, claiming that smaller clubs are often overlooked when poor decisions are made, while big-name teams receive more attention. “It depends on who was beaten on the day. If it is a bigger team, it becomes an issue. If it is a less fancied team, we just move on,” he said.
The 54-year-old also questioned the penalty that allowed Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile to score his record-breaking 130th PSL goal during their 1-0 win over Stellenbosch FC in Cape Town. “I was happy for him, but honestly that was another dubious penalty. I don’t think it was inside the box,” he said.
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