Johannesburg – Mamelodi Sundowns and coach Pitso Mosimane were found guilty on Thursday evening of making comments which brought the Premier Soccer League (PSL) into disrepute, a PSL disciplinary committee said in a statement.
This follows comments made by Mosimane on August 27, on television, during an interview after a Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates match.
Pirates won the match 3-0 at Loftus Versfeld.
Mosimane questioned how Pirates had known about skipper Alje Schut's player registration card, which Pirates found had expired.
“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 and no one else?” Mosimane said at the time.
“There must be something I don't know, but I don't want to go anywhere because I know what will happen to me, I'll get suspended.
“But I find it very strange that Orlando Pirates go straight to Alje Schut's card and say the card what, what, what.
“How do they know that? How do I know what's happening in Orlando Pirates' book?”
Mosimane was fined R100 000 – the maximum permissible – of which R50 000 was suspended on condition that Mosimane publicly retract the comments at a news conference to be arranged by the PSL.
In addition, Mosimane was ordered to pay R60 000, from a suspended sentence imposed on him in May, arising from a similar offence.
Sundowns were fined R60 000, of which R30 000 was suspended on condition that the club, through its president Patrice Motsepe, attend the news conference to be arranged by the PSL and support Mosimane's retraction.
The club was ordered to pay R30 000 for a suspended sentence imposed on it during May, arising from a similar offence.
Both parties were ordered to pay the costs of the disciplinary committee's sitting. – Sapa