Esteghlal FC head coach Pitso Mosimane was left unimpressed by Chinese referee Ning Ma, who gave them a red card & awarded two penalties in their AFC Champions League clash against Al Ahli Saudi.
Mosimane was introduced to Saudi Arabian football by Ahli when they appointed him as their head coach two seasons ago during their time in the second division. The South African mentor woke the sleeping giant and won them promotion to the elite league.
The former Bafana Bafana coach explained that it is emotional to return to face Al-Ahli, but they are people of business and was not impressed by the officiating after Ahli received two penalties and Esteghlal received a red card.
“A very difficult game, of course, as we expected, not easy playing against big team Al Ahli,” Mosimane told the media.
“It’s not easy to get a point or anything in Jita, but my team had confidence and belief that they can win here that is why all the time we were in front 1-0 and 2-1.
“A bit emotional for me to come to play against a team that introduced me to Saudi Arabia football, so it was a bit emotional, but we are businesspeople.
“I would not want to talk about the referee, I still have to check the video, to reduce us to 10-men play against eleven man here it’s not easy.
“And also, again two penalties here again it’s not easy I was afraid that he is going to give the third one because Al Ahli is a big team with big stars, they have the capacity to score they don’t need penalties to score.
“I am just not happy that the referee did not go to look at the VAR for the second penalty because why he doesn’t check? It’s a very difficult situation with your eye that’s why we have VAR on the red card he went to VAR.
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“He says red card okay he went to check, but the second penalty why he doesn’t go check because there’s a lot of people inside there in front of the goalkeeper you cannot see with your eye.
“But he has decided that tonight he is giving penalties and he taking us with a red card, he decided. I think he is a professional he is not a bad referee to be honest, but I think he is going to check his game so that he can see he made the right decisions.
“But it’s very sad for us because we could’ve won here but Alhamdulillah we got one point it’s okay.”
