Furious Nasreddine Nabi slams referee for 'unacceptable' officiating in Kaizer Chiefs defeat to Polokwane City - 'If I lose, it's fine, but not like that'

Nasreddine Nabi delivered a scathing critique of the officiating in Kaizer Chiefs' match against Polokwane City, asserting that the referee refused his team two penalty opportunities.

Despite being the best team on the field on the day,  performance-wise, the Glamour were defeated 2-0 by Phuti Mohafe's Polokwane.

Nabi, feeling frustrated, believes that his team suffered due to some dubious decisions made by match official Eugene Mdluli and he voiced his displeasure about it.

"You remember the game (against SuperSport United) where (Edson) Castillo was out? I talked about the referee, all the people, the media, told me I am aggressive towards the referee, I am not aggressive, I respect referees because without the referees we don’t have football," Nabi told the media. 

"I still talk about referees but today aaa, ey. Back on television, I talked to the PSL to analyze our situation. We (today) should have awarded two penalties and I think my left-back Bradley Cross is out, where is the card? No red card, It is unacceptable.

"If I lose, I lose because I’m bad and that’s football but I don’t like to lose like that. I wouldn’t say I like to lose because of the referees. I wouldn’t say I like it and it is not the first time. Look at the action with Cross, look today after you go home, maybe he will be out for two months, it's unacceptable," he added. 

"I respect the opponent, I respect the referees but give me the respect that I deserve. Fifa's laws say that referees should protect players. How many players will go to hospital? I am not talking about protecting myself because I lost, but the players, it's unacceptable."

This was not unfamiliar behaviour from Nabi, as he has previously voiced criticisms regarding refereeing in Chiefs' first few games of the season.

A disappointing result against Polokwane City kept Amakhosi out of the top eight. They currently occupy ninth place in the PSL standings after accumulating 11 points from eight matches.

Since taking the role of head coach for the Soweto giants, Nabi has encountered challenges early on, including an exit from the Carling Knockout after a loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarter-finals.

The Tunisian coach must work to swiftly rectify the situation as some fans of the Glamour Boys appear to have begun questioning his abilities.

Nabi and his players will be aiming to return to winning form when Chiefs take on TS Galaxy in a PSL clash on Monday, December 16. 

The match at the Mbombela Stadium might be seen as crucial for the former Young Africans coach considering that Amakhosi have been struggling to secure positive results.