DStv Premiership: Eric Tinkler: ‘Refs are killing our game’

The sides met for the second time in the space of a week after SuperSport sneaked into the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 with a penalty shoot-out victory over the Citizens.

Tinkler’s side were close to avenging their defeat were it not for a late SuperSport equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time from Lyle Lakay after Khanysia Mayo had given the Mother City outfit the lead five minutes after half-time.

The City mentor was left fuming at the officiating after the final whistle, saying refs are “killing our game”.

“I have to say something about the refereeing because I think it’s killing our game, the momentum. They are giving fouls when there are no fouls, they are not playing advantage when they should play advantage,” Eric Tinkler told SuperSport TV.

“Goalkeepers coming out (of the area), he is running into his own players, running into other players, he blows and gives a foul, it’s killing the complete momentum of the game and week in and week out, it’s the exact same thing and it’s becoming tiring.”

Tinkler went on to question the standard of officiating with match officials at a semi-professional level within SAFA.

“We’re killing our game because of that, so we need to make that change. The game is a contact sport, and it needs to be constant,” Tinkler added.

“But now a little touch, little that, and he blows, and he is killing the momentum and he is killing in my opinion the game itself because people will start getting fed-up because this is a stop-start, stop-start game all the time.

“I think that kills the momentum of the game,” Tinkler said.

The result leaves Cape Town City second on the table but 11 points behind Sundowns, who have two games in hand.

SuperSport United keep pace with the Citizens in what is shaping up to be a battle for the second Champions League spot.