Mmowa Kekana: HWBSL officiating standards need to improve

Kekana believes his players were on the receiving end of several questionable decisions during the match, including the free kick he says was unfairly awarded to Fort Hare and ultimately led to the only goal of the game.

Fort Hare striker Kesha Hendricks converted the set-piece in the 25th minute to secure all three points for the hosts.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Kekana called for more workshops to be conducted to improve the standard of officiating in the league.

"Treatment is not equal. If you saw Fort Hare dominate us in the first half, we made mistakes. We had a clear chance to convert, but when we came back, we were attacking more. If the player from First Touch cleared the ball, the referee called it a free kick, which it was not. How can you clear the ball from that direction to there and it's a free kick? Each and every time it's a foul, and the game must stop. They take time sitting down and give us three minutes of optional time, which cost us," said Kekana.

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Kekana says he also raised his concerns with the fourth official during the half-time break, pleading for more consistent and fair officiating in the second half.

"I cannot go and talk to the referee. I spoke to the fourth official to say, 'Look, man, try to improve this; this thing is costing us."

The Limpopo outfit currently find themselves in the  dropzone, sitting seventh on the log with nine points after eight matches in the Super Rise Division.

Kekana says his frustration with the officiating has reached a point where he is no longer concerned about securing the team’s league status.