THE South African Football Association (Safa) promised on Sunday to deal harshly with those who abused Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane before a CAF Champions League match this weekend.
People wearing the colours of host club Mamelodi Sundowns temporarily blocked a bus carrying the Egyptian team to a Pretoria stadium and held placards, many of which contained abuse aimed at Mosimane.
Mosimane guided Sundowns with huge success from 2012 until last September when he became the first sub-Saharan African to coach Ahly since the club was formed in 1907.
“These individuals not only humiliated coach Pitso Mosimane‚ they brought the name of the country into disrepute,” said Safa chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe.
“Safa will leave no stone unturned in identifying these individuals and hand out the harshest of penalties to them.
“Mosimane is our proud ambassador and what these people did needs to be condemned by all civilised people,” said Motlanthe.
South Africa-born Mosimane believes he knows the identity of the person behind the placards that insulted him and his mother, but did not reveal it.
Sundowns apologised to Ahly on Sunday, but not to Mosimane, according to South African media reports.
No spectators were permitted to attend the second leg of the quarter-final in the premier African club competition because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Defending champions Ahly held Sundowns to a 1-1 draw and advanced 3-1 on aggregate to the semi-finals, where they will play Tunisian club Esperance.
Pre-match abuse of visiting national teams and clubs is commonplace in Africa with hosts believing it can unsettle rivals.
- AFP
