Pitso: 'Downs no longer splashing out

Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says they are no longer prepared to pay what they feel are exorbitant salaries.

It was confirmed that long-serving central defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele had left the Premiership champions for Kaizer Chiefs.

Mphahlele's contract with the Brazilians had ended, and with Chiefs offering a better deal, he decided to depart for Soweto.

Sundowns, with mining magnate Patrice Motsepe at the helm, have over the last decade or so become known as South Africa's biggest and most extravagant spending club.

But Mosimane says a different approach is being taken these days, as 'Downs are not prepared to be held to ransom to what they may feel are unrealistic demands.

"It is [Mphahlele] his business with his agent and they got [from Chiefs] what they felt they deserved," he told The Sowetan.

"We have to move on, but you have to understand that gone are the days when Sundowns was paying, paying and paying. No, we have moved away from that

Mosimane added that giving into Mphahlele's demands could have caused disharmony in the camp.

"It was his choice and I have to look after the dressing room," he added.

"It is me and the board, so we have to make a decision to say that if we go to this level what's gonna happen in the dressing room?

"So and so says, 'how can Rama get this when I'm scoring the goals?'. It becomes a problem and I have to manage the dressing room."