The Matsatsantsa CEO is not impressed by some rules of engagement with the Brazilians
SuperSport CEO Stanley Matthews has revealed that he has now been forced to take a firm stance against Mamelodi Sundowns to protect his team against exploitation.
Matthews gave the example of goalkeeper Ricardo Goss whose loan terms had to be renegotiated in SuperSport’s favour before a deal was sealed after the player had initially been with Matsatsantsa for two years, also on loan.
“I said if he couldn’t play against them there was no deal,” Matthews told iDiski Times on how he managed to agree a deal that would allow Goss to play against his parent club, having been barred under his previous loan terms.
‘With Ricardo, I dug my heels in and I think it’s the right thing’
“I can’t [continue] fielding a second-best team when I play Sundowns, it’s not good for my club, it’s not good for the brand, it can’t be that every time I’m going into a big game my players and everyone is saying ah this one can’t play, that one can’t play.”
Matthews then went on how he is now reluctant to agree loan deals with the PSL champions.
“That’s why I didn’t take any other players on loan from Sundowns, for that very reason but with Ricardo I dug my heels in and I think it’s the right thing. If he’s not good enough to play for Sundowns why are you worried playing against you?” he posed.
‘I wanna try and at least win a trophy this year’
“So for me, I can’t keep undermining my club and I’m going to draw Sundowns in the cup with second best team, I wanna try and at least win a trophy this year, and if it can’t be the league over 30 games, because it’s unlikely, I need to target cups.”
Goss and defender Nyiko Mobbie joined SuperSport from Sundowns this month with the latter agreeing a permanent deal after a number of loan stints.
The goalkeeper has returned to familiar surroundings after keeping nine clean sheets in 32 matches for Matsatsantsa last season.
