Young Africans head coach Miguel Gamondi slams officiating decision taken against his side after his team exited the CAF champions league in the quarter-final following a 3-2 penalty shootout loss to Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday.
The 60-year-old veteran slammed the officiating decision taken against his side, as he believed Aziz Ki’s strike, which came off the under side of the bar, had crossed the goal line in its entirety and should have stood.
However, referee Beida Dahane stood with his initial on-field decision of waving off the goal, much to the displeasure of Gamondi, who insisted the Mauritianian official should have visited the monitors for himself for a review on the occurrence.
If the people [ Sundowns ] is happy with that, that’s okay. But football is not like that, we talking fair play. Fifa talking fair play, he said.
I think it’s the second time I was robbed, and it’s very painful because you can say, ….You’re not good coach, why you this or that? I honest people, and today honesty wasn’t here in this stadium, and this is painful for football, very painful.
The referee can make bad decision, he’s a human being, but why the referee don’t go to check for peace sake? He say, No, I’m confident about it, He added.
The contentious decision against Young Africans meant that their adventure in the Quarter-finals of the competition – their highest ever finish – had been curtailed.
In spite of Gamondi coming to terms with the result, Young Africans have taken punitive action, documenting their grievances to Africa’s football governing body, CAF, claiming there was “an administrative error and match-fixing “ in their quarter- final defeat.
The club has requested that CAF looks into the issue and brings about justice.
Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns – winners of the inaugural edition of the African Football League- are set to face Espérance de Tunis in a bid to add the CAF champions league to the 2016 triumph they enjoyed and that of the African Football League.
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Story by : Andrews Sefa Bamfo|univers. ug.edu.gh
