HOUSTON — Ghana coach James Kwesi Appiah was frustrated after his side's 1-0 defeat to Mexico in a friendly Wednesday, but it wasn't the result that seemed to bother him most.
The coach accused referee Baldomero Toledo of using profanity toward one of his players and also questioned why organizers assigned a Mexican-American official to oversee a game involving the Mexican national team.
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“Talking about the referee, I was really, really shocked that in a game like this they would allow a Mexican to be the center ref when we were playing (against) Mexico," Kwesi Appiah said in his post-match news conference. "I’m really, really surprised. I never knew about it until after the game. I heard that he was a Mexican-American. I mean, it doesn't make any difference. If you’re Mexican, you’re Mexican.
"On top of that also, his behavior on the pitch. The surprising thing, you know, he used the f-word against one of my players. This is something that modern days, we don’t need such reactions from a referee. I don’t know who organized it but because there are so many referees in the America here, I’m surprised that someone from Mexico should handle a Mexico game.”
Toledo, who grew up in Mexico but came to the United States as a young man, according to an interview he gave to a referee website , is listed as American by FIFA and has called games in MLS since 2004 and has been a FIFA referee since 2007.
Ghana now heads to East Hartford, Connecticut, to face the U.S. in a friendly, while Mexico's first unit will play in the Confederations Cup semifinals against Germany on Thursday with the second unit facing Paraguay on Saturday before beginning Gold Cup play.
