Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has hit back at Al Ahly over their complaint about unjust refereeing to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Mokwena was addressing the media in Cairo ahead of their second leg in the African Football League semi-final against the record CAF Champions League winners.
When asked about a potential penalty, which Al Ahly were not given, he expressed his disappointment in the way the Club of Century have conducted themselves around the fixture after they sent an official complaint to CAF.
“I am very surprised that Al Ahly complain about everything,” he said.
“Before the first leg, Al Ahly complained that we played 3 o’clock and yet they are allowed to fixture the game at their time that suits them. You hear no complaints from Mamelodi Sundowns.
“I am surprised that Al Ahly [are] always complaining about the referee, only when they lose.
“Jose Mourinho once said ‘once a big club is starting to look for other factors, apart from football when they lose, they start losing their status as a big club’.
“And I hope that’s not the case with Al Ahly because they are the flagship of African football. The rest of the world and Europe look at Al Ahly as a reflection of what African football represents.
“And so my question after the complaint is, what is really the intention? Because I can go through a list of incidents, where the referees did not act what I thought was the just way.”
Mokwena went on to list several incident where he thought the referee could’ve ruled in Sundowns’ favour.
“And first let’s acknowledge that [Mohamed] Hany comes into the match already with a yellow card, and the rules are if he picks up a second yellow he misses the next match,” he continued.
“He makes a clear foul in 10:43 against Thapelo Maseko, no yellow. He makes another foul in minute 39:53 against the same Thapelo Maseko, stops a promising attack and gets no yellow card.
“27:08, there is a sliding tackle from [Marwan] Ateya on Gaston [Sirino] in front of the box, no yellow card. [Mohamed] Abdelmonem a few of seconds earlier fouls Themba Zwane, no yellow card.
“31:04, a late slide tackle on Gaston Sirino, no yellow card. 36:16, Abdelmonem pulls Thapelo Maseko down in front of the box, no yellow card. All of these are promising attacks and situations where the offender should get a yellow and the laws of the game are very clear – persistent fouling is a cautionable offence…
“There is a shout for a handball that hits [Reda] Slim, 56:34. No penalty for Sundowns. 65:34, Mendieta is pushed inside the box by Afsha, no penalty, no yellow. 76:55, [Ali] Maaloul fouls Maseko…
“At the end of the game, Sundowns [had] seven fouls, two yellow cards. Al Ahly 13 fouls, one yellow card. I think if there is a team that needs to complain, it should be Mamelodi Sundowns, but we don’t complain because our’s is to trying to understand where the CAF leadership is trying to take African football…
“The game of football, which is governed by FIFA, is that of fair play and you can win, lose or draw. And when you lose you show good sportsmanship, you shake hands, especially when the opponent was better than you.
“Let’s go to the data: Mamelodi Sundowns 67% ball possession, Al Ahly 33% possession. 89% pass completion, 639 passes from Sundowns, double the amount of Al Ahly’s 314. 15 shots on goal, only three for Al Ahly.
“When an opponent is better than you, we shake hands. we show good sportsmanship, you congratulate your opponent. And you make sure that the game of football remains the game of football, which is the game that we all love and the beautiful game.”
