Wydad feel Pitso’s wrath
Dirty tricks Moroccans try to bully Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has lashed out at Wydad Casablanca for their “disrespect” following Saturday’s highly charged CAF Champions League group match in Atteridgeville. In a video clip that has gone viral, a Wydad official interrupted Mosimane during his interview with SuperSport broadcaster Julia Stuart after Sundowns’ 2-1 win at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday. “These North Africans need to show us respect when they visit our country,” Mosimane lashed out.
“They want to fight with our ball boys and show utter disrespect to us. It’s unacceptable. When we go to their country we don’t do all this nonsense. “That is why I say the time to be nice guys is over. It’s about time we will give them the same medicine.”
Stuart took to Twitter to clarify that the Wydad official provoked Mosimane. “The Wydad staff came and stood behind one of the cameras and shouted at the Sundowns coach while we were live. It was very aggressive.” Sundowns got a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Moroccans, thanks to a brace by Themba Zwane. The result left the group wide open with all four teams – including Lobi Stars and Asec Mimosas – having secured a win and a loss in the opening two fixtures. Wydad players tried to intimidate Sundowns officials and ball boys as they wanted them to quickly replace the ball if it went out of play. There was a shouting match between officials from both clubs in the stadium tunnel. “We are getting wiser and we now know how to play in this competition because it is not always about the game but your mental attitude. Gone are the days where Sundowns are cheeseboys. We have to fight fire with fire‚ even in the PSL,” said Mosimane. Sundowns take on Highlands Park in an Absa Premiership match tomorrow.
Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen says his players needed the sweet taste of victory after three months without a win in the Absa Premiership.
His comments come after the Port Elizabeth side beat Maritzburg United 2-0 in a bottom-of-the-table clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
The win saw Chippa break their 10-match winless streak. However, the Chilli Boys are still second from the bottom of the log and former Golden Arrows coach Larsen, who replaced axed Joel Masutha, said there was still more to come from his team. “Fortunately, I had a full week to prepare the team and that was very important. “What was most pleasing to me was the fact that what I saw the way the players play this week, was transferred into the game.
“I asked them to be more penetrative not just kick the ball sideways but to play penetrating pass, be aggressive when we take players on and we saw that today,” the coach said after the match. “It was a bit disappointing not to come into the half-time break a goal or two to the good, but I said to them not to panic, this team Maritzburg played a tough game Wednesday [against Sundowns]. “They were going to slow down in the second half, that is exactly what happened. We dominated the second half ... their legs were gone.” Ahead of the game, Larsen said he would be working on tightening the defence as the team had conceded too many goals in the past.
He said he was pleased with how on-loan Orlando Pirates player Gladwin Shitolo and Frederic Nsabayimva performed as centre-halves.
“I am happy that the players expressed themselves but in the framework and within the discipline network. There is a lot more to come from them. “I think this is a very talented group of players that just needed this win. Three months without a win is a long time.”
Elsewhere this weekend, Black Leopards drew 1-1 at home to Golden Arrows, with Mwape Musonda scoring a late equaliser after Lerato Lamola had given the visitors the lead.