Rulani Mokwena launched a stinging post-match rebuke of Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso after his MC Alger side were eliminated from the CAF Champions League on Saturday.
The 2-0 defeat at Loftus Versfeld not only ended Alger’s continental campaign but also marked a bitter return to Pretoria for Mokwena, facing his former club for the first time since departing in July 2024.
The high-stakes encounter carried knockout implications, with a place in the last eight on the line. Sundowns rose to the occasion, sealing progression with a disciplined display that underlined their pedigree in Africa’s premier club competition.
For Mokwena, however, frustration spilled over after the final whistle.
“I don’t want to talk about things off the pitch, because if Rulani walks across the opposition’s technical area, I know how many people would make a hullabaloo of that situation,” Mokwena said, as quoted by FARPost, referencing an incident following Sundowns’ second goal.
He went further, alleging a breach of the laws of the game. “The laws of the game prohibit any technical member from leaving his technical area, going past the fourth official, and moving across the technical area of the other team. If that is not a clear sign of not only disrespecting the opposition, but a clear violation of not only CAF rules, but FIFA rules. This has nothing to do with me. That’s not my conduct, it’s a reflection on me.”
While Mokwena questioned the conduct on the touchline, Sundowns’ focus remained firmly on the result, which secured their passage to the quarter-finals of the competition.
For MC Alger, attention now shifts back to domestic matters. Despite their continental disappointment, Mokwena’s men sit top of the Algerian league after 15 matches, offering a platform to respond positively in the weeks ahead.
