Mamelodi Sundowns have apologised after the unfortunate incidents that marred their Caf Champions League game against Esperance at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The defending Premier Soccer League champions needed a Peter Shalulile strike to claim a slim win ahead of the second leg to be played in Tunisia on Tuesday. However, the supporters engaged in hooliganism after the match.
It could have been fatal, but luckily, no one lost his life since the authorities have not reported the same. Masandawana have regretted the incident and promised to do thorough investigations to determine the course.
But prior to that, they have taken the initiative and apologised to the North African outfit, saying the situation contradicts the club's culture.
Sundowns promise ‘safe and welcome' environment for the fans
“Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behaviour that was displayed [on Tuesday] at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium,” they said in a statement.
“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.
“Esperance de Tunis is a respected sports institution in Africa and we trust that once all the evidence is reviewed, our brothers and sisters at Espérance 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. 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,” Sundowns concluded.
The Brazilians hope to finish the job on Tuesday and make the last four.
