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Raja coach slams lack of VAR after loss to Sundowns

Raja Casablanca head coach Ricardo Sa Pinto feels they were robbed a clear goal after a 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League.

A second-half goal by Iqraam Rayners gave Sundowns maximum points, as they moved up to the top of Group B and left The Green Eagles rooted at the bottom.

Raja had at least two goals ruled out for offsides in the second stanza and Sa Pinto bemoaned the lack of Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Read: Raja coach: I know Miguel Cardoso very well

"It was a difficult match for us, two good teams. Of course we know to come here and play in this weather sometimes it's difficult, it's not easy but I think the result that is fair is the draw," Sa Pinto said on SABC Sport.

"We had a clear goal and it's unbelievable at this level, [CAF] Champions League from Africa don't have VAR. This is something that can't happen, because today with VAR, it is a goal.

"This is not fair for us, we're one of the teams who have goals in this Champions League, we have our dream. We still have three games, nine points, everything is possible but it's difficult for us like this," Sa Pinto said.

The Portuguese coach also revealed that they had planned for Rayners being dangerous around the penalty area.

"In my opinion, we also don't have the luck of the game in another situation, they had one or two attacks that we started to feel some players are tired and we suffered the goal," Sa Pinto went on.

"We know the number 13 [Rayners] from them he always comes inside to shoot in the penalty zone and I said to my guys, pay attention to the crosses behind.

"But football is like this, you're correct in one or two things but after we conceded the goal, we did not have the solution to change," the 52-year-old mentor added.

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