Bittersweet victory for the Brazilians in TKO

A bittersweet victory. That was Mamelodi Sundowns’ lot at the weekend. The Brazilians’ delight at having progressed to the Telkom Knockout final was soured by the fact that two of their key players will not be available for the near future.

While goals from Hlompho Kekana and Gaston Sirino ensured a 2-1 win over Golden Arrows in Cleremont, there was an injury and a sending off that served to put a dent on the celebrations.

Goalkeeper Denis Onyango suffered a hamstring injury that could potentially see him miss the final on 14 December, while Sirino went from hero to villain after being sent off.

Coach Pitso Mosimane acknowledged that the Uruguayan midfielder was deserving of the marching orders following his reckless tackle on Siyabonga Dube. “The Sirino sending off was right. He went off the ball and it is a red card,” Mosimane said.

Sirino has developed a reputation for displaying unsporting behaviour.

Asked as to how he deals with the behaviour of Sirino, the four-time PSL winner Mosimane explained: “How do you deal with (Danny) Phiri’s yellow cards everyday? How do you deal with (Willard) Katsande’s yellow cards everyday. It is our life. You get those kind of players like Roy Keane (former Manchester United captain). Those players will always put you in the spotlight. They can’t control their temper. You remember I’m a football coach, I’m not a psychologist. Football is a game of emotions. You must ask him.” 

@Minenhlecr7

The Mercury

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