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’Lobi Stars gave us a small bus in Nigeria but we gave them the biggest bus in SA‚’ says Sundowns’ Mosimane

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane kicks the bottle of water in frustration after Thapelo Morena missed a goal during the CAF Champions League match against Nigerian champions Lobi Stars at Lucas Moripe Stadium on March 09, 2019.
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane kicks the bottle of water in frustration after Thapelo Morena missed a goal during the CAF Champions League match against Nigerian champions Lobi Stars at Lucas Moripe Stadium on March 09, 2019.
Image: Lefty Shivambu

Fiery Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says the treatment that is often reserved for South African sides on the continent is unacceptable and old fashioned.

Sundowns beat Nigeria side Lobi Stars 3-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Caf Champions League and the forthright Mosimane‚ who never minces his words‚ reflected on the treatment they received when they faced the selfsame side in the away leg in Enugu at the beginning of the year.

“I don’t want it to be personal‚ all I will say is that SA teams playing in the Champions League or Confederation Cup have never ever had a team coming here (to SA) and denying them a pitch to train‚” Mosimane said.

‘‘They (Lobi Stars) gave us a small bus in Nigeria but we gave them the biggest bus (here in SA) and we responded on the pitch.

‘‘How many times have you heard that we had problems away? That’s old-fashioned football man.”

SA sides‚ and even Bafana Bafana‚ are often subjected to shocking and‚ at times‚ unsporting gamesmanship that is a trademark of the game on the continent.

The underhand tactics that greet local teams when they travel to other parts of this continent reaches shameful proportions at times and Mosimane said while he does not expect the red carpet to be rolled out to visitors‚ the lengths that some hostile hosts go to are not acceptable.

“We keep quiet‚ play football because what goes around comes around.

"Two wrongs don’t make a right‚” Mosimane said.

‘‘That is why I always say that the gap between Caf and the Uefa Champions League is very big.

‘‘Did you see (Sundowns goalkeeper) Denis Onyango lying on the floor and faking cramps? We play football.

‘‘Did you see any of the Manchester United players lying on the floor (in the Champions League game) against PSG faking injuries?

"They don’t do that.”

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