Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena has commented on the heated exchange he had with Orlando Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus during the final of the Carling Black Label Cup last weekend.
While addressing the incident, Mokwena uncharacteristically cut a frustrated figure, stating that he will not be commenting on the incident again.
He also added that he found the behaviour of Erasmus who left the Brazilians to re-join Pirates at the start of the season “disrespectful”. Mokwena added that he has since exchanged text messages with Erasmus.
“I will speak about it for the last time. When I look at the sequence of events, I look at him scoring a fantastic goal in Polokwane against us. He lacked celebration towards Sundowns, which went towards our supporters. I listened to things that he has said, which have been borderline disrespectful to the fans and the Motsepe family for all that they have done for him,” said Mokwena.
Part 1 of @coach_rulani response to the touchline verbal exchange with @Erasmus_95 over the weekend.....
— robertmarawa (@robertmarawa) November 14, 2022
Listen to both Parts for context.#MSW @VumaFM @SowetanLIVE @RISEfm943 pic.twitter.com/htgUf0N0W5
Mokwena said that he was surprised by the way that Erasmus tackled Haashim Domingo, as he was under the impression that the duo were close friends.
“It was a tackle that was made on a person who I thought was a close teammate of his (Domingo). They looked close to each other when they were in the Sundowns squad,” said Mokwena.
After being reduced to a bit-part role at Sundowns last season, Erasmus opted to join Pirates for a second stint at the start of the campaign. He previously spent three years on the books of the Sea Robbers between 2013 and 2016.
Hailed as a potential “next Benni McCarthy” when he burst onto the scene with SuperSport United in 2007, Erasmus’ career has been filled with inconsistency and flashes of brilliance. As a youngster, he showed promise, which convinced Dutch club Feyenoord to sign him in 2007.
Now 32-years-old, Erasmus is approaching the tail end of his career and if all goes well, could have another two to three years of football left in him. As a senior player in Jose Riveiro’s team, he will play a crucial role in helping Pirates try to reclaim it’s former glory as a giant of South African football.
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