Betway Premiership: Gabriel slams Richards Bay FC for conceding cheaply

Richards Bay FC’s coach Ronnie Gabriel has slammed his team for conceding cheaply in their Betway Premiership opening game against Marumo Gallants on Saturday. The Natal Rich Boys lost 1-2 to the visitors on the opening day of the elite football season in South Africa.

The visitors played with 10 men for the better part of the game but still won the three points largely due to comical defending. Bay goalkeeper Salim Magoola spilled the ball into his own net after failing to handle a long-range shot from Simo Mbhele. That error gifted Gallants a later winner.

Reacting to the result, Gabriel faulted his players for poor defending, saying they could have avoided both goals they conceded.

“It is a disappointing result. We felt that today we could have taken away the three points. We dominated the game for the majority of the contest and still ended up on the losing side,” the co-coach told SuperSport Television in a post-match interview.

“I am not happy with the way we conceded the goals. In terms of the overall display, in terms of maintaining possession, penetration and final third entries, we did well.

“[However], we have to learn to close up games. This is the PSL, and when the result is there to take, and the opposition is playing with 10 men, I thought we could have won the game.”

Bheki Mabhuza and substitute Simo Mbhele’s goals in either half won it for Gallants who were reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute when Edgar Manaka was shown a red card. Substitute Lundi Mahala scored the hosts’ consolation goal in the 55th minute.