- The ongoing feud between Sead Ramovic and Rhulani Mokwena took another turn on Monday evening.
- The German mentor strongly denied Mokwena's allegations that TS Galaxy had planned to injure Bongani Zungu in a plot of vengeance.
- Zungu had broken the leg of Bernard Parker in a challenge and Mokwena believes that during his side's victory, the midfielder was a target of a premeditated clash.
- Go to our dedicated soccer page.
TS Galaxy head coach Sead Ramovic has strongly denied allegations of a revenge plot that followed Orebotse Mongae's tackle on Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu during their match on Monday night.
The 3-0 DStv Premiership defeat to Masandawana at Loftus Versfeld marked the return to action of TS Galaxy's Bernard Parker after a 194-day absence due to a leg-break injury he sustained in a horrific challenge from Zungu earlier in the season.
On Monday, substitute Mongae, who received a red card for his trouble, made a tackle on the towering midfielder in the 85th minute which left Zungu with a deep cut and led to his immediate substitution.
In his post-match interview with SuperSport TV, Mokwena said he believed Galaxy had premeditated the tackle to avenge the injury to Parker, who was denied a goal in his comeback match when Sundowns keeper Ronwen Williams saved his penalty spot kick.
"I'm disappointed with the tackle on Bongani Zungu, very disappointed," said Mokwena.
"I was told already last night that the coach on the opposition (Ramovic) showed that tackle that Bongani Zungu did on Bernard Parker and said, 'don't forget what Bongani Zungu did'.
"I'm very disappointed because these things happen. And I can say again to you that Bongani Zungu's tackle can happen in any other game, anywhere. I've seen worse tackles.
"We've even got (Abubeker) Nasir out injured, but we've forgiven and moved on because it's a contact sport, but we go and intentionally injure players and we send out these things. It's a bit disappointing from a professional level. But, anyway, we do the talking on the pitch."
It is the latest escalation in an ongoing feud between Ramovic and Mokwena, which began in November last year and intensifies with each passing month.
In response to Mokwena, who the German-born mentor refers to as "Mr Sunshine", Ramovic said nobody in his team would injure a player intentionally.
"I didn't see the thing either, but I have to see it. I think that, ironically, it's the player that injured Parker, yes, but I can be sure nobody from our team will do anything on purpose," he said after the match.
"I heard from SuperSport that Mr Sunshine said that we did it on purpose to do something. To say something like this is very low. And I didn’t want to comment on it because I learnt from the past.
"Because, if a person uses ignorance, you don’t need to do much and let them talk and this is what I will do.
"I can promise you guys, we’re fair as a team, we stick to fair play, we want the sport to unite and not divide, and we will never do anything on purpose to hurt anyone.
"This is our rules (at TS Galaxy). This will be up until this club exists. We will always be a fair team."
In fact, TS Galaxy took matters into their own hands in a statement on their social media channels on Tuesday by demanding that Mokwena prove his claims of premeditation to injure Zungu, which it deemed an "embarrassment".
The club vowed to "assert their rights in law" with the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
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. Mokoena lied blatantly through his teeth which we deem to… pic.twitter.com/DfSrAHVXkk
— TS Galaxy FC (@TSGALAXYFC) April 30, 2024
"TS Galaxy FC takes serious exception to the comments made by Mamelodi Sundowns FC coach Rhulani Mokoena [sic] insinuating that our Head Coach instigated the injury suffered by Sundowns player Bongani Zungu during our match last night," the statement read.
"Mokoena [sic] lied blatantly through his teeth, which we deem to be serious embarrassment to our game, never mind the club that he represents.
"If Mokoena [sic] 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."
Whatever will "Mr Sunshine" do?