Kaizer Chiefs lost 4-0 after Esperance were awarded two imaginary penalties three minutes apart from each other, in the first 10 minutes of the game. The game continued in the same spirit with every touch of an Esperance player being considered a foul and nearly every Chiefs attempt to attack being an off side.

However, the two other goals conceded were legitimate and further put the team in an uncomfortable position to come back in their return game scheduled for the 23rd April 05.

“There is a big difference in coming back from a 4-0 loss than from a 2-0 loss, which in the worst-case scenario after tonight’s game, should have been the case,” stated the head coach, Ted Dumitru at the hotels supper table.

On the result of the game the coach commented as follows:

“It is another sad day for African soccer and unfortunately Kaizer Chiefs was abused by the vicious attitude of the referees. It was impossible to recover psychologically after the first 10 minutes of the game. It took time for us to recharge and regain confidence and it was during that time that the 3rd goal was scored. After that and until the final whistle, we dominated the game but could not score.

The many incidents occurred proved that the referee did not apply the rules of the game with two clear intentional handballs that should’ve resulted in yellow cards, a foul on Mbesuma in the penalty area, being totally ignored and also by overruling the linesmen decisions.

"We will try our best in our return game to rectify the situation and I really hope that South Africans will have the opportunity to view this game so that supporters and soccer lovers will have the opportunity to understand what conditions we are subject to when playing against other African teams especially from North Africa,” stated a disappointed coach.

“This is a huge set back for African football in its attempt to gain international credibility,” concluded Dumitru.

The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing with over 25 000 supporters present and continuous singing from the stands, the vibe was exhilarating even though the Chiefs entourage seated in one of the suits was not impressed with the handling of the game on the field.

Chairman and Managing Director of Kaizer Chiefs, Mr. Kaizer Motaung was also present at the game supporting his team every step of the way, but after witnessing game he to expressed his disappointment with the unfair treatment awarded to Chiefs.

“There has to be a compelling reason why South African teams should compete in any CAF inter-club competitions, because it’s a known fact that North African teams are always given special treatment over others.

"As a matter of fact, as mentioned in my column this past Friday, the biggest fear we face in playing teams from this region, is refereeing.

"This is not something new as all teams that come up here are well aware of the treatment they receive on the field of play and what happened tonight in the first 10 minutes of the game was a disgrace for African football,” stated a disappointed Motaung after the game.

The Chairman had a tough job in consoling and motivating the players in the change room after the game and could not blame them for the result.

On the overall performance of the team, Kaizer Motaung stated, “I cannot blame the team because with what happened in the first 10 minutes of the game, it would have been difficult for any team to recover. But be that as it may, there is still another 90 minutes of play and we will do the best we can to see to its final.”

Esperance have always been successful in the African Champions League and in all CAF Cup competitions with either winning the silverware or reaching the finals. This year’s participation in the Champions League has seen Esperance winning every home game including the last game against Al Hillal from Sudan in the last 20 minutes of the game.

“It is not surprising that after having lost 2-0 away to a team from Sudan and after being one goal down at home with 20 minutes to go, Esperance managed to score five goals winning the game 5-3. Therein lies the mystery that can explain how five goals came about where as they could not score even one in the preceding 160 minutes”, commented the Chairman.

In conclusion Motaung said, “Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about the situation, the referees decision is final, therefore we need to pull up our socks and get mentally ready for the return game”.

The team will be landing in South Africa on Tuesday morning at 6h45am where the focus will back on winning all their remaining games of the Premier Soccer League season.

Match Officials of game, details as follows: