Pitso Mosimane dropped the niceties and poured litres of petrol on what is already a fiery contest. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

JOHANNESBURG – Pitso Mosimane dropped the niceties and poured litres of petrol on what is already a fiery contest between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs before a ball has been kicked in anger.

The Shell Helix Ultra Cup was just a dress rehearsal, and during that time Mosimane was pouring only drops of petrol by insinuating that PSL log leaders, Chiefs, are where they are because they have been the beneficiaries of poor officiating.

Ernst Middendorp reacted angrily and put Mosimane in his place during a heated interview on SABC’s Soccerzone just before the friendly match.

Before that, Amakhosi’s football manager Bobby Motaung had said that Mosimane is obsessed with the Glamour Boys after Jingles’ first statement regarding the Soweto giants benefiting from poor officiating.

Mosimane took that up a notch on Wednesday after Sundowns beat Highlands Park to move within two points of Chiefs with a game to spare. The two giants will square off at Loftus on Sunday.

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“They (officials who will officiate the match) are under pressure hey,” Mosimane said. “We are watching them! We are talking! We will complain. We can never keep quiet and say no, you are feeling jealous because they are winning. We say it the way it is. Benni (McCarthy) says it the way it is. I say it.

Okay, the other coaches don’t want to say it because they are modest, you know. They don’t feel like it, but we want to win the championship.

“What is this? It’s a championship game. We talk! You must remember what happened when Middendorp left South Africa. Why did he leave? He was at the DC (Disciplinary Committee) every day. He said that the PSL is against him, all that.

He left because he was at the DC every day complaining about the referees. He went to Thailand on a honeymoon there, he came back and now he is benefiting. So why shouldn’t we talk about it? We will talk about it. This is a championship. We all want to win.”

Mosimane’s downplayed the importance of the match by saying that Sundowns don’t have to beat Amakhosi to win the league title, insisting that the three points against Highlands were as important.

“They (Chiefs) are currently in good form and they are benefiting also (from officiating),” Mosimane said. “There are two points. They are playing well, we credit them. They are fighting hard, but they are on the receiving end at this point in time. They are enjoying the ride.”

Mind games aside, what would getting maximum points against table toppers Chiefs mean to Sundowns and Mosimane?

“(A win against a team) that is benefiting? You just have to do what you have to do. And we pray that the contributors (officials) don’t help them to benefit. Benni was crying. I am busy crying. AmaZulu was complaining. Steve Komphela was complaining.

Who doesn’t complain? They (Chiefs) are having a jolly ride,” Mosimane said.

Bonginkosi Ndadane