Zesco United Serbian coach Zlatko Krmpotic has blasted the Senegalese referee Issa Sy who handled his team’s CAF Confederation Cup clash at Rangers, accusing him of not being fair. Th e Nigeria champions lost a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Zesco in a CAF Confederation Cup fi nal playoff fi rst leg in Enugu.
Krmpotic said it was a shame his side were not given a level playing ground by the referee. “I’m satisfi ed with my team, but not with the result,” he blasted. “Th e referee did not give level playing ground to play. “He waved away our decent penalty appeal only to turn round and gift Rangers an undeserved penalty. “It is a shame for the referee. “We came to Enugu to play football and we could have won if not for the referee.
“Rangers did not play football.”. Ahead the return leg match slated for Ndola, Zambia, this weekend, the Serbian coach stressed his side have advantage going into the game but insisted it is not yet over. “No, there is still 90 minutes to play in Zambia,” he said. “It will be tough though we have advantage from the fi rst leg”.
Meanwhile, the Flying Antelopes management have suspended coach Imama Amapakabo after the team sloppy showing on Sunday, the team spokesman argued that the action was taken to save his life. Rangers’ spokesman, Foster Chime said: “Imama was suspended for security reasons after a mob nearly attacked him and part of his car was smashed.”
Amapakabo made history last year when he led Rangers to end a 32-year wait for a major trophy, but this season hay are bottom of the championship they won in style and they have also crashed out of this year’s CAF Champions League.
Th ey may now also miss out on the group phase of the secondtier Confederation Cup. Th e Rangers gaff er has however, said that the reports of his suspension was news to him as his employers had not communicated such to him. Amapakabo explained that he has not received offi cial notifi cation to that eff ect. “I am surprised by this report because I am here in Enugu but there are reports almost everywhere saying I have been suspended indefi nitely.
As I speak to you I am preparing to go for a training session with the team because there has been no offi cial message to me concerning this. I still have a contract to see out at this highly-respected club and I will continue to give my all here, though we are passing through a phase,” he said. Currently Rangers sit at the base of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Th ey will face Zambian side Zesco United in the second leg of the Caf Confederation Cup this weekend in Ndola with chief coach Chukwuma Agbo expected to be the man to lead Rangers to the tie.
