Controversy erupted after Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena’s recent comments about Mamelodi Sundowns fans.
Mokoena was speaking to the media on Sunday in the lead-up to Tuesday’s match against South Sudan. When asked about his two goals against Congo at the packed Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in October, his response caused quite a stir.
“I just want to see myself in the field whether I’m playing centre-back, whether I play right-back, six, eight, 10,” said Mokoena.
“Scoring goals it’s not really a priority for me. The priority for me is to make the team play well, we defend well, our transition is good, the rest of defence is good. Scoring is cherry on top, but I love scoring, and I love scoring beauties.”
“I did enjoy it. It was fully packed. I don’t play a lot of games in the full stadium, so I had to enjoy it. I would love to score those goals at club level.”
This concluding comment sparked outrage among Sundowns fans, who interpreted it as a veiled criticism of their team’s home crowd size.
Mokoena felt compelled to clarify his statement, but this only deepened the divide among fans.
WHAT TEBOHO MOKOENA SAID CLARIFYING COMMENTS ABOUT SUNDOWNS FANS
“Don’t lie brother. The question was …What was my feeling after scoring in a full packed stadium? we must stop doing interviews with you guys suka,” Mokoena responded to a journalist, insinuating that he may have been misquoted.
Mokoena’s comments seem to reference the recent dip in fan attendance at Bafana Bafana matches, followed by the sold-out crowds for the World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and the 5-0 victory over Congo.
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Unfortunately, a video clip of Mokoena making the comment with a laugh has only worsened the situation, and he may need to take further steps to appease Sundowns fans.
While Mamelodi Sundowns are one of the most popular teams in South Africa, they still trail behind Pirates and Chiefs in terms of average match attendance.