Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos' Belgian interview just before the Africa Cup of Nations made many headlines, including one where he reportedly called Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena "South Africa's (Jose) Mourinho".
Depending on the interview translation and interpretation, the feeling could have been misunderstood with regard to what Broos intended to mean by these words.
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There were also a few passionate words exchanged between Mokwena and Broos in recent months with regards to injuries, particularly when Sundowns players picked up injuries while on duty with South Africa.
Now, the Brazilians coach has revealed that he got in touch with the 71-year-old to get to the bottom of the interview, before doing the same with TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic who had openly criticised Mokwena when they knocked out Sundowns from the Carling Knockout earlier this season.
“I think my biggest problem is that I don't discuss quite a lot of these things that are said by my colleagues in the media. I don't go and have engagements with the media about them,” Mokwena told the media, as featured on the Prime Sports with Mahlatse Youtube podcast, ahead of Sundowns’ game with NB La Masia on Tuesday in the Nedbank Cup.
“You are all familiar with some of the things that my colleague (Ramovic) at TS Galaxy said. I picked up the phone and called him directly and I raised my displeasure. There were things said by Broos and I picked up the phone and I called him directly and I raised my displeasure,” Mokwena further added.
Ramovic had stated that Mokwena shouldn’t make excuses due to the number of players Downs had unavailable because of a packed fixture schedule at the time.
“I address issues straight. I don't go to the media, I pick up a phone and address those things and fortunately, coach Hugo Broos did apologise and explain what had happened. After that conversation we had on the phone before Afcon, for me, it was done,” Mokwena noted.
In Sundowns' last fixture, they picked up a point from a 1-1 draw with rivals Orlando Pirates in the DStv Premiership at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld Stadium on the weekend.
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