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Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes his side's CAF Champions League exit at the hands of to Wydad Casablanca in the quarter-finals on Saturday was partly due to poor refereeing.
Sundowns won the first leg 1-0 against the Moroccan club, but were denied what appeared to be genuine goalscoring moments as the match officials in charge ruled them out for various infringements.
Wydad triumphed 1-0 in the second leg and would go on to prevail 3-2 on penalties as the defending champions in Africa's most prestigious cup competition bowed out.
Mosimane bemoaned the decisions that he feels did not go his team's way at home.
"I think we played very well. We came here not to sit back but to attack," he said.
"But‚ unfortunately‚ you know football‚ with penalties anyone can win. We showed we wanted to play, we were not afraid.
"I think we lost the game in Pretoria‚ not in Morocco. In Pretoria we scored three goals but the linesman flagged them offside. They were not offside.
"I regret the game in Pretoria‚ it's very sad for football when an official makes a mistake like that. But I must also give Wydad credit for the way they played in the first 45 minutes. They really showed they wanted to win."
