Johannesburg - Mamelodi Sundowns romped to yet another trophy on Saturday as they claimed their first-ever Carling Black Label Cup, but their celebrations were dampened as controversy dominated the post-match press conference.
The Brazilians head coach Rhulani Mokwena demonstrated an unhappy figure as he was questioned about one of the biggest turning points in their match showdown against Orlando Pirates.
Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki received his marching orders in the 20th minute of the match following a horrendous career-ending tackle of Sundowns man Hashim Domingo, making it a walk in the park as the Brazilians scored four answered goals.
Following Xoki's dismissal, former Sundowns forward Kermit Erasmus, who moved to Pirates on deadline day was seen pointing and shouting at Mokwena on the Masandawana bench and images emerging from the incident suggest it was heated.
Mokwena reluctantly opted to address the incident between the two camps, expressing his displeasure at Erasmus' conduct towards him.
“I'm very disappointed because the tackle was not something you want to see from an opponent,” he said to members of the media.
“Career-threatening situations like that shouldn’t be applauded, it was just a bit of a disappointment. I was disappointed at how he (Erasmus) spoke to me - I just felt I didn’t deserve that and especially from him."
He then added that : “Maybe that’s why I feel in this moment bittersweet because I know what the club (Sundowns) has done for him and what I have personally done for him. I cannot sit here and speak about some of the things but it's OK - I suppose that’s what life is about. We take it in on the chin and we move.”
IOL Sport