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Football AmaZulu FC Betway Premiership Chippa United

Kopo Denounces Xenophobic Slur By Referee To Nga

  • October 30, 2024
  • 3 min read
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Kopo Denounces Xenophobic Slur By Referee To Nga

Outspoken Chippa United coach Kwanele Kopo has confirmed that assistant referee Kamohelo Ramutsindela made a xenophobic remark to Cameroonian striker Bienvenu Eva Nga, stating that he is not South African and cannot be spoken to in his own country because he is a foreigner.

The incident occurred during Chippa’s 2-0 loss to AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday in the Betway Premiership.

A major scuffle broke out near the end of the match after Sergio Kammies committed a foul near the AmaZulu bench. A verbal altercation ensued, leading to AmaZulu midfielder Abbubaker Mobara being sent off and the club’s physio Ryan Coert receiving a caution.

“I was actually having a go with the assistant,” Kopo said in the post-match press conference. “Sergio Kammies committed a foul in front of the AmaZulu bench, and the referee blew his whistle. Then there was a reaction from the AmaZulu bench; I don’t know what was said or by whom. But whatever that reaction was, it incited Sergio to, perhaps wrongly, approach the player, I think it was Mobara.

“I didn’t go that side because I didn’t want to get involved as I’m still injured. “Then we were trying to settle the commotion. As the players were returning, Evan Nga was coming back, and earlier in the game, just before Eva got a yellow card, the first assistant referee said to him, ‘You talk too much, I’m coming for you.’

“Thirty seconds later, Evan got a yellow card, and we told him, ‘You are threatening us, you cannot threaten us.’

“If I had said to the referee, ‘I’m coming for you,’ I would have been sent off. I told referee Thando Ndzandzeka, ‘What you are doing is wrong.’

“Why did I say that? Etiosa Ighodaro committed an early foul with his elbow on the full-back, but he didn’t receive a talking-to or a yellow card, and a few other similar fouls occurred.

“So, after that commotion, Eva came back and was still having a go at the first assistant, and I was trying to block the assistant referee, who was charging at Eva. And then he said to my assistant coach, ‘Ask him which country he’s from? This is my country; he must respect me.’

“That is a xenophobic statement. We cannot accept or allow that in our football, or in our society.”

According to Kopo, this is not an isolated incident. “When we played Sekhukhune, I spoke about small holes, like those in a balloon,” Kopo revealed. “When yellow cards accumulate, they cause more problems than a penalty. These yellow cards we’re picking up have an effect on the players, who can’t tackle once cautioned. The conduct of referees towards the benches leaves much to be desired.

“The sad thing is, if you say something to them, they hold all the power. If you say anything to them, they will tell you, ‘I’m going to send you off now!’ “How do you deal with a FIFA official saying to a Cameroonian player, ‘Which country are you from? This is my country; you must respect me’?

“That is what has left a sour taste in all of us at Chippa United about this game.”

When asked if Chippa United would file a complaint about the assistant referee’s conduct, Kopo said they would inform the PSL. “As a club, hopefully we will,” Kopo said. “But I will not stop talking about it.”

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Robin-Duke Madlala

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