With the football fraternity waiting with bated breath for the possible outcome in the escalating feud between TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic and Rulani Mokwena of Mamelodi Sundowns, a football legend and youth coach has cautioned against what he terms as "hatred" against the Brazilians tactician.
Ramovic and Mokwena are set to face off in court after Galaxy approached the High Court regarding alleged defamatory comments made by Mokwena against Ramovic last month.
Galaxy is demanding a public apology from Sundowns and Mokwena for the said alleged defamatory statements by the African Football League and DStv Premiership-winning coach.
Mokwena has since confirmed knowing about the case following his side's 1-1 draw with Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night where the feud between him and Ramovic continued.
Football legend and youth coach James Mothibi has cautioned against the growing criticism directed toward Mokwena in South Africa.
The Good
"Talking about Rulani, I am reminded of when I coached the Northern Cape U21 provincial squad in 2017 and this coaching genius was already at Sundowns (before he moved to Orlando Pirates later that year). Obviously, at the time he wasn't the head coach of the club. I remember the guy showing so much interest in coming to watch our game which we played against the Gauteng U21 provincial team. I remember going up the stands to greet him and the other ex-professional footballers that were sitting there, and the guy was so humble and respectful. Yes, he was still very young at the time, but I knew how knowledgeable he was, and I was so impressed by how humble and respectful he was. We beat Gauteng 3-2 and Rulani came to me and congratulated me and the team on how we performed. What I am trying to say here is that in Rulani I saw a respectful young coach who is appreciative of the good work that is done by other coaches and isn't jealous," said Mothibi.
The Bad
"Regarding Tuesday night's incident, I was not happy at all. What I have realised is that there are so many South Africans with so much hatred against Rulani. All of this hatred comes from people who don't appreciate the progress that is being made by Rulani as one of the young coaches we have in the country. The guy is contributing a lot at Sundowns and is doing exactly what he was hired for by the club," he said.
The Ugly
"For the fact that South Africans and Africans are talking about Mr. Patrice Motsepe's money in relation to Sundowns' successes, it is a disrespect to the club and Mr. Motsepe's family. As a coach you need to focus on what happens during the game and analyse what transpired during that period. You've got no business in talking about the R200 million that Sundowns have, the money that Sundowns players are earning and all these other things," added the Warrenton-born man.
'People are quick to judge'
"I do understand that some of us are not wealthy even though we appear on TV and with people watching us having this perception that we are rich. That's why when some of the former players are down and out, people are quick to judge and say they misused money. Again, that is not Sundowns' fault and there should be no comparisons," concluded Mothibi.
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