Safa hits back at Sundowns

SA Football Association (Safa) chief medical officer Thulani Ngwenya has fired back at Rhulani Mokwena after the Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach suggested their players return from national duty carrying injuries or are fatigued.

Ngwenya was not impressed that instead of talking about Sundowns’ 2-2 draw with Congolese side AS Maniema Union in a Caf Champions League match on Sunday, Mokwena elected to use the opportunity to lash out at Bafana Bafana and the Safa medical department.

The Sundowns coach’s utterances upset a lot of people at Safa House, as he also suggested the Pretoria club is unable to communicate with members of the medical department.

Ngwenya was not amused. “First, I am disappointed that technical people are discussing medical matters. I am disappointed [because] it means the technical people at Sundowns are also not communicating with the medical department [at the Pretoria club], if any. But I have spoken personally to both Dr Carl Tabane and Dr Paul Maphoto [members of the Sundowns medical team] regarding their players.”

Ngwenya said the Safa physical trainer also made a point of sharing the GPS scores of the players to their counterparts at Sundowns. “So it is just disappointing when you get a coach [Mokwena] saying such things,” he said.