FEAR-STRICKEN Orlando Pirates coach Muhsin Ertrugal was allegedly forced by the club to board the same flight with the team’s central defender Edwin Gyimah, who was baying for his blood.

Ertrugal, who feared for his safety after Gyimah attempted to make him his football pitch at the Cape Town Stadium change room and Cape Town International Airport, phoned the club’s headquarters in Johannesburg and pleaded with officials to organise Gyimah a separate flight to Joburg. But to his shock and chagrin, the officials showed him the middle finger.

Pirates administrator Floyd Mbele referred us to the club’s media officer Thandi Merafe who referred us back to Mbele and the team’s technical director Stanley Screamer” Tshabalala.

Speak to Floyd or Tshabalala. They are the ones who are managing the team,” Merafe said. Tshabalala declined to comment. I was not even there at the game. I don’t want to comment about the club’s private matters. I can’t do that, he said.

Our deep throat confirmed that Ertrugal was forced by the Buccaneers to board the same plane with Gyimah who had earlier tried to show him the ghost.

The trouble started during the half-time break when Muhsin questioned Gyimah on why he played his passes to the central midfield as opposed to playing them to the sides,” said our source.

In reply, the defiant defender said the game situation forced him to play his passes to the sides and he would continue to do so if necessary.

That s when the argument started. The coach decided to replace him and that’s when Gyimah lost his cool and started shouting at the coach. Fortunately, Screamer’ Tshabalala was there to calm the situation, said our mole.

The source said the following day when it was time to leave for the airport Gyimah was nowhere to be found. The rest of the team had to leave without him as he was not