Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi could face more punishment after confronting the referee following his team’s 1-0 loss to Golden Arrows on Sunday.
The Tunisian coach was given a red card in the tunnel after confronting referee Olani Kwinda following the conclusion of the game. For all his troubles, the Amakhosi coach is set to miss at least two matches.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nabi confronted the referee after the 1-0 loss
South African Football Association (Safa) head of refereeing Abdul Ebrahim has warned the Kaizer Chiefs coach against confronting match officials.
“Added time belongs to the referee, not the coaches. The referee determines how much additional time is played. This is referred to as the ‘referee’s optional time’,” Ebrahim told KickOff.com.
During the post-match conference, Kaizer Chiefsassistant coach Khalil Ben Yousseffelt the referee tried to help Arrows by adding only three minutes of added time. Ebrahim though said the referee has the final decision on how many minutes should be added and the coaches should not get involved.
“Coaches and teams are always going to speculate and seek to protect themselves, but ultimately, the referee makes the final decision – whether it’s one minute, five minutes, or ten minutes. That decision solely rests with the referee,” he said following the Kaizer Chiefs incident.
“That decision falls to the League. If a player misbehaves and receives a red card, that’s one matter. What happens afterward is entirely up to the League. The League will assess the severity of the misconduct that led to the red card and make a decision based on their competition rules,” he added.
“It could result in a one-match or two-match suspension, or it could be more, depending on the circumstances. Referees act on the field according to what they observe.”
Referee Olani Kwinda was right to hand Kaizer Chiefs the red card but it remains to be seen if SAFA would take the matter further. Nabi has had confrontations with match officials since joining the Soweto giants in July.
Should Nabi be punished further?
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