Mosimane threatens to quit over ‘plot’
PITSO Mosimane has suggested there might be a plot being hatched against him after a second provocative altercation with opposing officials when Mamelodi Sundowns were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday and warned he might quit the local game if it continued.
The Sundowns coach had a slagging match with Lamontville Golden Arrows team manager Gordon Masondo, who flew into the technical area to celebrate right in front of Mosimane after the Durban club pulled off an upset 1-0 win in their second-round tie.
Last weekend, Mosimane also had a shoving match with two Kaizer Chiefs security personnel‚ even hurling opposing coach Steve Komphela out of the way‚ as they taunted him with their post-match celebrations after Amakhosi beat the league champions at Soccer City in a dramatic league encounter.
Mosimane suggested that the provocations were to set him up for a fine or suspension. “You saw what happened against Chiefs‚ you saw what happened today‚” he said after the cup defeat.
“The manager of Arrows came right into my technical area.
“Maybe there is a plot against me. I don’t know. The PSL take me out for days or for a lot of games. People are putting their people to come against me.
“I feel unprotected. When I react I’m ‘a loose cannon’. That’s my life‚ that’s my story in PSL. And who cares about me? People are coming towards me to cause problems.”
Mosimane said this was because they were jealous of his club’s success.
“But it’s OK. I understand‚ I know why‚ because we are Sundowns‚ we are a good team. Everybody has to do everything to [beat us].
“And who is the easiest person to target? You can’t attack the players so you’ve got to target the one who leads the team, and that’s me.”
He also suggested the provocations were seeking a reaction to have him suspended and he brought up the case of Ernst Middendorp‚ who quit Maritzburg United at the end of last year after a raft of charges from the PSL began to pile up against him.
Middendorp had a long running battle with acting PSL chief executive Mato Madlala from his time as Arrows coach when he took the club to Fifa to win a settlement on unpaid wages.
“If South African football think that’s the way they must treat me‚ I can go and coach somewhere else. I love football so much I could even work in Lesotho with all my heart.
“It is not about money. I’ve received enough from football and if South Africa feels I’m not the right person to contribute to South African football and put South Africa in the right map and play proper football‚ attacking football‚ then it’s OK.
“I mean it‚ if I feel it’s too much for me and I’m not appreciated in this country‚ I will bow out with pride and challenge others to match my record.”