Sundowns issue statement on fan violence at Loftus 

Mamelodi Sundowns have issued a statement following the ugly scenes that marred their 1-0 victory over Esperance in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final match at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday afternoon.

Both sets of fans were involved in a brawl after the final whistle, and security had to intervene to separate them.

WATCH – Esperance fans attack Sundowns fans at Loftus

From videos circulating on social media, it appears as though a small group of Esperance fans provoked their Sundowns counterparts into the fight.

Peter Shalulile scored the only goal of the match to give the Brazilians the advantage ahead of the return leg.

Sundowns released a carefully worded statement in the early hours of Thursday morning, stating that they will cooperate with CAF as investigations into the incident unfold.

“Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behaviour that was displayed on (01 April) at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium,” part of the statement read. 

“Videos circulating on social media depict malicious damage to the stadium and the Mamelodi Sundowns supporters retreating from violent conduct that was initiated against them, including flares and pepper spray when the incident started. Sundowns awaits a full report from the Match Commissioner and is committed to cooperating with CAF to finalise its investigation ahead of the return leg.”

Sundowns also issued an apology to the four-time Champions League winners for the violent scenes in Tshwane.

“Espérance de Tunis is a respected sports institution in Africa and we trust that once all the evidence is reviewed, our brothers and sisters at Espérance will also denounce this behaviour and take the necessary steps to ensure that the next encounter is one where all supporters feel safe and welcome. We are confident that the investigation will identify the circumstances that gave rise to the unruly behaviour,” the statement concluded.

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“However, in accordance with our African culture of compassion and empathy (our African culture of Ubuntu) we are required to apologise to Espérance de Tunis and its supporters as the unruly behaviour took place at our home stadium, despite the videos and facts indicating that the Sundowns supporters did not initiate the unruly behaviour.”

The second leg between the two teams will take place next Tuesday in Tunisia where the winner of the two-legged tie will book a place in the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament.