PODCAST | From nowhere Kermit said things I felt I did not deserve: Mokwena

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says he and the player have discussed the spat he had with Orlando Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus during the Carling Black Label Cup final and the two have agreed the matter is closed.

However, Mokwena told Marawa Sports Worldwide he thought former Sundowns player Erasmus had been building up to Saturday's angry remonstration with an over-the-top celebration when he scored for Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals and in some media interviews.

Erasmus left Sundowns to join Pirates under a cloud in August.

On Saturday the striker, on Pirates' bench as a substitute, directed a tirade at Mokwena after Downs’ coach reacted angrily to a challenge by Bucs’ Tapelo Xoki on Downs’ Haashim Domingo that saw the defender red-carded.

 “I think I’m going speak about it for the last time,” Mokwena told MSW.

“One of the reasons for that is because Kermit sent me a message just after 10pm and we exchanged texts, and I think it ended there.

“What I will say is that when I look at the sequence of events, I look at him scoring a fantastic goal in Polokwane against us [in Pirates’ 3-0 MTN8 semifinal second leg win]. But I look at the celebration and how borderline it was in terms of possibly even lacking respect towards Sundowns and maybe even towards our supporters.

“And I listen to some of the interviews he’s done and things he’s said that were completely incorrect and maybe again borderline in disrespect, not just to the club and the fans, but also the Motsepe family for what the club has done for him.

“Then of course the event on the touchline where the tackle that was made on someone who I thought was a close friend of his because they were teammates. At Sundowns Haashim Domingo and Kermit looked quite close to each other.

“My reaction was not even towards the tackle. It was towards [Pirates striker] Zakhele Lepasa who started clapping towards the red card and towards Xoki, as if to encourage that type of behaviour.

“Funnily enough after the match Lepasa came to me and said, ‘Coach I apologise because I was also a victim of a career-threatening injury and have been out for a few months, and probably shouldn’t have done that’.

“From absolutely nowhere Kermit then remonstrated and said things towards me that I felt I did not deserve, especially from Kermit, particularly with what we had been through. There are a lot of things.

“To end it all, we exchanged texts, we spoke about it. For me it’s not just an isolated situation. There seems to be a bit more from the goal celebration to the interviews and now this.

“Like I said to him even at the end of our conversation, ‘I wish you love and light’.

“Because we should never forget that at times we dehumanise athletes and coaches. We look at people and think they don’t have hearts and things troubling them and what they have gone through.

“Kermit, to be fair, has gone through a lot in the last year or so, and things shouldn’t be blown out of proportion and we should try to assist these players.”

Mokwena was promoted from being part of a co-coaching trio to head coach of Sundowns last month. Since then the Brazilians have scored 15 goals and conceded none in four games.

Sundowns beat Maritzburg United 5-0 away and Royal AM 3-0, both away in the DStv Premiership. Downs beat AmaZulu 3-0 in the early semifinal of the friendly Black Label Cup at FNB Stadium on Saturday, and hammered Orlando Pirates 4-0 in the final.

 “The biggest challenge with that is to try to tell the players and everyone involved that we can do more,” Mokwena said.

In a wide-ranging interview Mokwena discussed issues including the changes he has been making to Sundowns and areas they need to improve on, introducing young players and the potential of new star Cassius Mailula.

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