WORD OF CAUTION Mosimane warns rivals of Wits' fighting spirit
Mosimane issues chilling warning to rivals not to discount Wits
Bidvest Wits are not a team who want to roll over and die just because they have been sold‚ Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane warned its Premier Soccer League rivals.
If anything, the evidence on SA’s return to professional football with Saturday’s Nedbank Cup semifinal double header at Orlando Stadium‚ where Sundowns beat Wits 3-2 in the late game‚ is that the Clever Boys want to go out fighting and prove some points.
Wits had refereeing decisions go against them — including a soft penalty to Sundowns and similar ruling for tugging for them that was not given later‚ and for the free kick from which Lyle Lakay scored the 95thminute winner — and howlers on both sides contributed to the goals.
Gavin Hunt’s team were certainly unfortunate not to have reached the final on September 8 against Bloemfontein Celtic‚ 3-0 winners against 10-man Baroka FC in the early game‚ for a chance to bow out of professional football with a bang after their 99-year-history.
“But yes‚ Bidvest Wits — a very good team. They don’t want to die. I mean, we had to take three leads in the match‚” said Mosimane.
“These people, they come back. This is not a team that has been sold‚ hey. This is not a team that you’d say their future is no longer there at Wits.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s a good team. And you can see it’ sa good coach‚ Gavin. And you can see he’s a fighter. He will never leave anything easy.
“So we respect them and this is a warning to anyone to say‚ ‘Hey‚ if you’re going to play Bidvest Wits be very careful. Don’t think about Tshakhuma and all those things.
“They are alive and kicking. The heartbeat is still there. And they fight.”
Hunt hinted that the decisions by referee Luxolo Badi appeared to be unfavourable to his team.
“I don’t think we deserved that. We deserved much more out of the game‚” he said.
“Sundowns’ first goal [by Ricardo Nascimento]‚ if that’ sa penalty I don’t know. Their second goal [by Keletso Makgalwa]‚ a huge mistake [by Wits keeper Brighton Mhlongo]. The third goal — if it’s a foul, great.”
Wits’ PSL franchise has been sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) owner Masala Mulaudzi‚ who will relocate the team to Limpopo.
Second-placed defending champions Sundowns and fourth-placed Orlando Pirates restart the Absa Premiership after a five-month suspension due to Covid-19 at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday evening.
In a second match with potential significance for the league title race, Kaizer Chiefs host sixth-placed Wits at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.