MC Alger coach Rulani Mokwena accused the Mamelodi Sundowns bench of showing “a lack of respect” after a touchline incident overshadowed his side’s CAF Champions League elimination.
The confrontation came after Sundowns secured qualification for the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, ending the Algerian club’s continental campaign.
During the match, Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso left his designated technical area and entered the space assigned to the opposing bench.
The referee sanctioned the move with a yellow card, but Mokwena felt the punishment did not go far enough.
Speaking afterwards, the MC Alger coach insisted the matter went beyond the result itself and concerned respect for the regulations.
“The Laws of the Game prohibit any technical member from leaving their designated area and moving into the opposing team’s zone,” he said at the press conference.
He described the gesture as “a clear lack of respect,” not only towards his team but also for “the rules of CAF and FIFA.”
Mokwena added that reaction might have been different had he been the one to cross into the rival technical area.
“If Rulani had crossed that opposing technical area live on television, many people would have made a huge fuss about it,” he said, suggesting the action amounted to provocation from the Sundowns bench.
Cardoso later played down the situation, explaining he was trying to communicate instructions to his player Tapelo Morena.
“I got too close […] I shouted to my players to play, but I went too far, that’s all and nothing more,” he said, insisting there had been no intention to provoke the opposition.
The defeat leaves MC Alger third in Group C with seven points and brings their continental campaign to an end.
Attention now shifts to domestic competition, where Mokwena’s side lead the Algerian Ligue 1 standings on 36 points.
They return to league action on 20 February against MC Oran, seeking to maintain their advantage over CS Constantine and convert their domestic form into the title.
