After suffering a disappointing 3-1 loss at home to AmaZulu at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday, Richards Bay’s interim coach Ronnie Gabriel shared his frustrations and questioned the legitimacy of Usuthu’s second goal scored by Etiosa Ighodaro.

Rather than accepting the defeat, Gabriel expressed doubts about the validity of one of AmaZulu’s goals, implying that fatigue from travel affected his team’s performance.

Gabriel’s post-match statements predominantly centered on AmaZulu’s second goal, which he claimed was not valid. “I’ve looked at the replays now,” Gabriel stated. “That was not a goal, I’m saying it clearly. That so-called goal took the wind out of our sails. If that hadn’t happened, we might have been able to equalize.”

The Bay camp had anticipated a “new-manager bounce” with the appointment of a trio of interim coaches following Brandon Truter’s resignation on Thursday; however, Gabriel’s remarks suggested a squad encumbered by external challenges rather than discovering internal solutions.

Gabriel didn’t only question the refereeing; he also attributed the sluggishness of his players to a demanding schedule leading up to the match. “I feel that today’s performance was greatly impacted by our recent fixtures. We faced Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday, returned home on Thursday, had just one day in Durban, and then played AmaZulu today,” he commented.

He depicted a team that seemed overwhelmed: “In the first half, it was obvious that we felt a bit weighed down. We were always second to the ball. Our sharpness was missing.”

However, Gabriel acknowledged his team’s deficiencies, describing the first half as “disappointing.” Nonetheless, he quickly deflected attention from the players, insisting, “It’s not that the players failed to adhere to instructions or anything like that. We just lacked sharpness in the first half, and the circumstances today were beyond our control.”

The loss leaves the Natal Rich Boys at the bottom of the Betway Premiership table, with limited time to rectify their situation. Gabriel’s attempts to shift the blame onto refereeing decisions and travel obstacles have not masked the underlying issues troubling the KZN team.

Conversely, AmaZulu, guided by coaches Vusumuzi Vilakazi and Arthur Zwane, capitalized on their chances and took advantage of Richards Bay’s defensive lapses. The visiting side showed no mercy, ensuring that their local rivals continue to struggle.

Richards Bay’s next challenge will require more than excuses or discussions about officiating as they prepare to face SuperSport United at home on Friday. Whether Gabriel and his fellow interim coaches can motivate the team for a crucial turnaround remains to be seen—but time is limited in their battle for survival.