Pitso on how North Africans ‘manipulate the system’ in Caf CL

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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes that North African sides know how to manipulate referees and use time-wasting tactics in the CAF Champions League, which is why they have dominated the competition.

The Brazilians edged out Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca 2-1 in Saturday’s Group A CCL tie at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

Towards the end of their game Downs were clearly looking to use ‘time-wasting’ tactics of their own in an attempt to see out the game. The Wydad players and officials, however, did not take too kindly when getting a taste of their own medicine as tempers flared at the final whistle.

Mosimane’s post-match interview was subsequently interrupted by a Wydad official which lead to Pitso’s outburst live on TV.

After the game further reports emerged of visiting players spitting at Downs fans and officials as they left the pitch.

Pitso, however, defended himself and his team in the post-match press conference insisting that North African teams are the masters of manipulating the system, while also admitting his team have had to adapt to survive.

Watch: Pitso blasts Wydad’s reaction in Caf CL

‘They know how to manipulate the system. They pressurise the referees,’ said the former Bafana Bafana coach.

‘It’s the first time I see a referee moving out the pitch looking for balls. It’s the first time I see an assistant referee look for balls.

‘It happens to us every week in Nigeria, but I have never seen a referee go out the pitch. But they pressurise them. It takes the referee out of the pitch to go and fetch the balls. That’s why North Africans dominate the space. But we are getting there.

‘Do you know what happened to me in Esperance in the tunnel? The Esperance officials come to me direct. But we have been there, we have been to Setif. We have been to Esperance. We have been to Wydad, we have been there. We were playing the Libyans, they created problems for us but we shrugged it off.

Caf CL Highlights: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad Casablanca

‘We are strong now. We have been five years in this. We should know how to play this game,’ he concluded.

Masadawana will next be in continental action when they face Asec Mimosas from the Ivory Coast in Pretoria on the 1st of February.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

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Dean Workman