South Africa coach Hugo Broos has even name-checked Argentine great Lionel Messi to make a point: he thinks the World Cup has been unfair to his players.
Themba Zwane picked up a red card in South Africa’s opening match against Mexico and was hit with a three-match suspension. Broos made his feelings clear to the media before his team’s second group match against Czechia.
He called Zwane’s dismissal excessive, especially given what he saw as different treatment for Argentina’s captain. “I believe the red card is too harsh. I do not consider it a red card when I reflect on what occurred yesterday with [Lionel] Messi. I certainly disagree with that. There was not even a VAR check for Messi,” he stated.
Zwane, a 36-year-old midfielder, had come on as a substitute against Mexico but was sent off in the 84th minute. He appeared to strike Mexican Roberto Alvarado in the face while being obstructed, and VAR flagged what it called violent conduct.
FIFA added two extra matches on top of the automatic one-game ban for a red card, so Zwane now risks missing the rest of the tournament. Bafana Bafana could see him again only if they go beyond the group stage and into the Round of 32.
The row was stoked by Messi avoiding a red card in Argentina’s game with Algeria after a clash with Aissa Mandi. The 38-year-old seemed to catch Mandi’s calf while challenging for the ball but was not punished, raising fresh questions about the refereeing.
