But his outbursts can be treated as the reaction of one looking for excuses after his side lost 1-0 to TAFIC.
However, it cannot be easy to dismiss the anger of ECCO City Greens' coach, Barry Daka, after his charges were held to a 2-2 draw by Mochudi Centre Chiefs in Gaborone on Saturday. It is possible that Chiefs could have had their unbeaten record interrupted had referee Lekgotla Johannes been up to his job like a professional. He dismissed ECCO's claims for a penalty in the first half and went on to award Chiefs a controversial penalty in the second half. But these are small matters compared to the fact that he reportedly extended the match for more than 10 minutes and then ended it soon after Chiefs put in an equaliser. Some angry fans made their feelings known by throwing missiles on the pitch after the goal. Despicable as this conduct is, it does not erase the principle that referees must not only be fair but should be seen to be fair. They must avoid decisions and conduct that could be interpreted as being other than impartial. Too much was riding on the ECCO-Chiefs' game, hence the need by the referees to handle it with great care and fairness. Perhaps it is time that the referees' commission should reserve high profile matches for certain officials capable of withstanding the pressure and tension that attend the job.
