Manqoba Mngqithi laments controversial officiating as Golden Arrows suffer defeat

In the heat of battle at the Seshego Stadium on Saturday, Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi left the pitch with more questions than answers.

For the first time since his return to the club, Mngqithi tasted the bitterness of defeat — a slender 1-0 loss, with the damage inflicted by a first-half header from Magesi's Lehlohonolo Mokone. But it wasn’t just the loss that had Mngqithi fuming.

The defeat, though painful, was not solely down to his team’s performance. Mngqithi, a man who knows the game as well as anyone, was quick to highlight the controversial refereeing decisions that left his team feeling aggrieved.

Akhona Makalima, the match official on duty, made calls that left many scratching their heads, particularly when it came to two apparent penalty shouts for Arrows that went ignored. After the final whistle, Mngqithi was visibly frustrated but not entirely lost in defeat.

"I was not happy with our first half — it was horrendous. We were second to everything, and we didn’t win our duels. Towards the end of the half, we started to improve immediately after they scored," Mngqithi said.

But it wasn’t just about the performance on the field; Mngqithi raised a bigger issue — the growing sense that every team venturing into Magesi's home ground walks away with a story of their own.

"In the second half, we were much better. We tried to push them, but honestly, I feel like we should've had two clear penalties. And that seems to be the case for every team that comes here," Mngqithi added.

He wasn’t done yet. The Arrows coach pointed to a pattern that has emerged in recent weeks, referencing past games where teams had similar grievances.

"I watched the SuperSport (United) game — I saw what happened there. I watched the Richards Bay game, and I saw what happened there. Every team that comes here has a story to tell — but who cares?" he concluded, a wry smile barely concealing his frustration.

With the international break now looming, Arrows will have two weeks to regroup before their next big clash against Kaizer Chiefs on March 30.

Mngqithi, who has been working with the team for just under a month, is determined to use the break to further instill his ideas into the squad.

"I appreciate the FIFA break because it’s going to give me a few days to add a few elements to our game that I think will benefit us," Mngqithi said.