CAPE TOWN - Baroka FC will conduct an internal investigation after an alleged racist incident in their match against Cape Town City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.
City and Baroka played to a 1-1 draw in Limpopo, but the match ended in controversy with tempers flaring on the respective benches after the visitors' goalscorer Surprise Ralani was tackled from behind by Basil Mphahlele.
City were incensed by the tackle, but even more so after an alleged racist remark was made from the Baroka bench.
"I wasn't near to the bench so I didn't hear anything, but the Cape Town people were not happy," Baroka team manager Richard Mashabane told IOL Sport.
"It's our duty to investigate and find out what exactly happened because Cape Town City are our brothers. We need to respect each other. We know emotions run high sometimes, but there's no excuse for anything racist. We will investigate. "
Cape Town City chairman John Comitis said they will lodge a report to the PSL detailing the alleged racist incident.
It is believed the comment made was "you coloureds think this is Cape Town. This is not Cape Town" before following it up with “you coloureds think you can do something here.”
Although the remark was not targeted directly at Ralani in particular, the Kimberly-born midfielder was visibly shaken by the events that unfolded.
"The game was littered with regrettable incidents, which the club feels were not correctly managed by the officials,“ Comotis told IOL Sport.
“It is not for clubs to comment on Safa and their provided referees, but we feel at this stage it has become a moral obligation to recommend that these incidents are looked into retrospectively and with referee accountability.
"The safety and dignity of the Cape Town City players were not protected. After the horrific Ralani incident, there was a further regrettable moment of racist abuse towards various coloured members of Cape Town City by a member of the Baroka technical staff.
“Neither incidents were correctly sanctioned, and the club finds itself without a mechanism to adequately address what is clearly an issue in the accountability and standard of referees provided by Safa to the best professional league in Africa."