AmaZulu were held to a goalless draw by Magesi FC at Princess Magogo Stadium on Wednesday, with striker Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya dismissed in the 70th minute — a result Zwane says was influenced by poor officiating.
“We had quite a few clear-cut chances inside the box that we could have capitalised on, but again, when you are playing against the referees it’s difficult,” Zwane said after the match, as quoted by Sowetan.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach pointed to several incidents in recent matches where he believes AmaZulu were unfairly treated by officials.
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“I don’t know… last week we were playing in Cape Town against Stellenbosch FC, our keeper Darren Johnson had the ball, he played it, and when the ball was about 10 metres away the referee blew the whistle for a penalty against us,” he said. “It’s getting worse – in every game there’s an unjust decision against us.”
Zwane also recalled a moment during their clash with Richards Bay FC, where he felt a foul on defender Sandile Mthethwa was ignored.
“In Richards Bay, Sandile is going to defend the ball and he’s being pushed with two hands, and they nearly scored in the dying minutes of the game, but the officials gave nothing. When it’s us, they always judge,” he said.
The Usuthu coach further questioned decisions from last week’s defeat to Stellenbosch, where he felt a legitimate goal was ruled out due to a questionable foul.
“It’s getting worse week in, week out. I don’t understand where football is going if we have to save people like this in this league. Teams must win because they worked hard, not because referees helped them.”
Zwane also disagreed with the decision to send Ngwenya off against Magesi, insisting the striker was unfairly punished.
As AmaZulu prepare to face Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, Zwane remains hopeful that fairness in officiating will eventually prevail.