AmaZulu midfielder Hendrick Ekstein says he will not blame referees for making what appeared to be a wrong call against Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership match last weekend in Umlazi.
Ekstein was denied what would have been his first goal this season by referee Thabo Mkhabela when he blasted at the far corner against Sundowns at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday last weekend.
Usuthu, at that time, was on top of Sundowns, leaving coach Pablo Franco Martin furious at the post-media press conference that was prematurely cut short.
Martin along with his technical staff had ago with Sundowns technical team including coach Rulani Mokwena, who was seen with Martin ironing out the melee in the tunnel at half time.
“I will say referees or assistants are people as well,” said Ekstein, when asked if he felt hard done to see his goal ruled offside.
“They are human beings; they do make mistakes just like us, so I wouldn’t blame him. Maybe he thought I was offside.”
Coach Martin also said they have been on the receiving end of wrong calls in the last game, including the Carling Knockout semifinal against TS Galaxy, where they lost 3-2 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium two weeks ago.
“Like I said, referees and assistants are human beings,” replied Ekstein when he was later asked about the bad officiating, they have endured.
“Maybe one day they will be on our side because I don’t like to blame them because we will get chances, we will not convert them as a team and the only thing we must do is to convert, not only blame referees.”
Usuthu host Sekhukhune United at King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday (19:30). They have lost the last three matches in all competitions, which has seen them drawn down to the DStv Premiership log table, lying in 14th place with 15 points after 13 matches played.
They are five points ahead of second from bottom Royal AM, who won over the weekend when they beat bottom side Richards Bay.
“Like I said, we must convert chances,” said Ekstein when asked what has gone wrong with Usuthu in the last three matches.
“We do create but we are not converting the chances, so I blame us as a team, I don’t blame strikers, midfielders, defenders – I blame everyone.”
