Mamelodi Sundowns have finally released a statement on the fan violence which marred their CAF Champions League match against Tunisian giants Esperance at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday.
After the South Africans recorded a 1-0 victory against Esperance, supporters engaged in violence which could have resulted in fatalities. Videos of the fan violence have been doing the rounds on social media, showing supporters hurling objects at one another as things seriously got out of hand.
READ: How The Fan Violence Unfolded: Sundowns V Esperance
At the stadium, there were some supporters who had to be attended to by the paramedics, with blood stains on their t-shirts and bandages on their heads.
In a statement, Sundowns confirmed that they are waiting for a full report from the match commissioner and will work together with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in its investigation in the violence.
The statement reads as follows: "Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behaviour that was displayed at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Videos circulating on social media depict malicious damage to the stadium and the Mamelodi Sundowns supporters retreating from violent conduct that was initiated against them, including flares and pepper spray when the incident started.
Sundowns awaits a full report from the Match Commissioner and is committed to cooperating with CAF to finalize its investigation ahead of the return leg.
Espérance de Tunis is a respected sports institution in Africa and we trust that once all the evidence is reviewed, our brothers and sisters at Esperance will also denounce this behaviour and take the necessary steps to ensure that the next encounter is one where all supporters feel safe and welcome.
READ: Why Cardoso Gave Maseko Rare Sundowns Appearance
We are confident that the investigation will identify the circumstances that gave rise to the unruly behaviour.
However, in accordance with our African culture of compassion and empathy (our African culture of Ubuntu) we are required to apologize to Espérance de Tunis and its supporters as the unruly behaviour took place at our home stadium, despite the videos and facts indicating that the Sundowns supporters did not initiate the unruly behaviour."
