Pirates hit back at Pitso Orlando Pirates hit back at Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane over Schut complaint Posted: 28 August 2014 Time: 04:11 pm Print this articleOrlando Pirates have criticised Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane for questioning how Bucs came to lodge a complaint against the Brazilians’ use of Alje Schut last night. Before the start of the second half of the Absa Premiership match, Pirates lodged a formal complaint against Downs, suggesting that captain Schut was using an expired playing card. Mosimane hinted at foul play after the tie, prompting the Sea Robbers to release a lengthy statement in response, which reads: Orlando Pirates Football Club believe it is necessary to set the record straight following Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Pitso Mosimane’s untrue and deliberately misleading comments when interviewed after the Mamelodi Sundowns versus Orlando Pirates match yesterday night (Wednesday 27 August 2014). ALSO READ: Downs blame PSL over Schut issue When asked his views after losing 3-0 to Orlando Pirates, coach Mosimane said he would like to make a comment before talking about the game. He proceeded to say, “I don’t believe we could have won this match. First, I find it very, very strange that Orlando Pirates go to Alje Schut’s card, that is within our books, how do they know that, straight to Alje’s card, no one else, please man”, “I know what is going to happen to me now, I am going to be suspended”. Coach Mosimane is not a new coach in South Africa. He knows all the ins and outs of our football. He knows that within the week of play the two team managers would have communicated the jerseys each team were going to use to avoid the two teams realising on the day of play that the colours clash. He also knows that an hour before the match the representatives of the two sides would have checked the playing cards of each other’s teams to ensure they exist and are valid. This is a routine practice that happens at every match. It was in the performance of this practice that is routine, that the Orlando Pirates representative discovered that Mr Alje Schut’s card had expired. When this issue was raised, Mr Mike Ntombela, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Team Manager advised coach Mosimane not to field the affected player. Coach Mosimane refused saying the player has a new card that is valid, and the valid card would be collected and made available for inspection. It is important to note that this inspection is done in time to provide a team unable to produce a valid players’ card an opportunity not to field the affected player. Whereas the inspection and validations need to be completed before the game starts, the Orlando Pirates Team Manager agreed when the Match Commissioner suggested that the validation be done at half time. It was due to the failure to produce the card that spectators who attended the match and television viewers witnessed the signing of protest form by the two club’s captains before the second half of the match could commence. For coach Mosimane to then assert that Orlando Pirates went “straight to Alje Schut’s card” and “no one else” is untrue and misleading. These untrue and misleading utterances by coach Mosimane go beyond his ungamely response to losing a soccer match. They have far reaching implications that would, if left unchallenged, erode confidence in the transparency and governance of our league and game. This would happen because coach Mosimane occupies a high position of trust in the game. People would unsuspectedly accept his utterances to be facts. His comment saying, “I know what is going to happen to me now, I am going to be suspended”, is irresponsible. It suggests that there are things he is unable to say for fear of reprisals. Again people would unsuspectedly accept his utterances to be facts. It is against this background that Orlando Pirates deemed the issuing of this statement appropriate and necessary.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 17:50:38 +0000
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