TS Galaxy threaten legal action against Sundowns coach

TS Galaxy have threatened to take legal action against Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena following his comments after the DStv Premiership match between both clubs on Monday.

Galaxy were reduced to 10-man after Orebotse Mongae was shown a red card for a late tackle from behind on Bongani Zungu who had to be stretched off with five minutes left to play.

That led to Mokwena suggesting after the game that Mongae had malicious intent as a revenge for the leg breaking tackle by Zungu on his teammate Bernard Parker earlier during the season.

“I’m disappointed with the tackle on Bongani Zungu because I was told already last night that the coach of the opposition showed that tackle, that Bongani Zungu made on Bernard Parker. Showed it to the players and said don’t forget what Bongani Zungu did,” Mokwena said on SuperSport TV after the match.

“I’m very disappointed because these things happen. I can say it again that I know for a fact that Zungu’s tackle can happen in any other game and anywhere. I’ve seen worse tackles, we still have Abubeker Nassir out injured and we forgave and we’ve moved on because football is a contact sport but now we intentionally injure players, it’s a bit disappointing from a professional level but we do the talking on the pitch.”

The Rockets released a statement on their official twitter page on Tuesday morning calling Mokwena a liar and called on him to prove his claims or face consequences of his words

“TS Galaxy FC takes serious exception to the comments made by @Masandawana coach Rhulani Mokoena, insinuating that our Head Coach instigated the injury suffered by Sundowns player Bongani Zungu during our match last night,” the club said in a tweet.

“Mokoena lied blatantly through his teeth which we deem to be a serious embarrassment to our game, never mind the Club that he represents. If Mokoena still believes in his own lies, we are now calling him out publicly to prove his claim within 24 hours, failing which our Club and our Coach will assert their rights in law.”

‘Mr Sunshine said that we did it on purpose’

Mokwena might have won the battle on the pitch with an emphatic 3-0 win at Loftus Versfeld on Monday thanks to a brace by Peter Shalulile and a solitary strike by Thembinkosi Lorch. However, the war of words between Mokwena and his Galaxy counterpart Sead Ramovic is far from over.

“I didn’t see the tackle either. I have to watch it again but ironically he’s the player that injured Parker. Yes, but I can assure you that no one from our team will do that on purpose. I heard from SuperSport TV that Mr Sunshine said that we did it on purpose,” Ramovic added.

“I think to say something like that is very low and I didn’t want to comment on it because I learned from the past that if a person advertises his ignorance, you don’t have to do much but let them talk and this is what I will do.

“I can promise you guys that we are a team that sticks to fair play. We want the sport to unite and not be divided. We will never do anything on purpose to hurt anyone. This will always be in our rules and this will be with our club while it exists and we will always be a fair team.”