Cardoso plays down Sundowns-Wiliete SC incident before CAF Champions League second leg

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has played down an incident involving members of his technical staff and Wiliete SC coach Beto Bianchi, saying the dispute has been given “too much attention” ahead of Friday’s second leg at Loftus Versfeld.

Bianchi reportedly required hospital treatment after allegedly being kicked by a Sundowns official following the goalless draw in Angola. The official is understood to be Steve Komphela, a member of Cardoso’s technical team.

Wiliete vice-president Vitorino Lunga Vicele said the club would “complain to the competent bodies of CAF and Angolan justice”, according to Angola News Agency.

South African journalist and radio host Robert Marawa said Komphela had told him he was verbally abused and spat at during the confrontation. Komphela allegedly admitted that he reacted by kicking Bianchi.

Cardoso addressed the matter on Wednesday, insisting that relations between the clubs remained positive and that the focus should now be on the second leg.

“Firstly, small things sometimes can become big things when you obviously give it too much attention. I think it got too much attention for what happened,” he said.

“As a club we were very well received in Angola. The teams and the clubs are still establishing fantastic relations in terms of the way people connected.”

Cardoso said the tensions were a consequence of the emotions surrounding football rather than a sign of a lasting breakdown between the two sides.

“Football has a lot to do with emotions, there are a lot of emotions sometimes. They sometimes drop out of the glass, it doesn’t mean the glass is broken or the water is spoilt. It’s just a little bit of too much emotions.”

He added that the issue had already been resolved and said both clubs would be treated respectfully when they meet again in South Africa.

“And we already overcame that and it will just be a beautiful match on Friday with people that will respect each other in a big party as always Mamelodi Sundowns fans and we will welcome the people from Wiliete very well.”

Cardoso also revealed that he had spoken with Bianchi before the first press conference and expected another normal conversation ahead of the return fixture.

“I had a beautiful talk with the coach, a day before when we went to the press conference, a beautiful talk with him. And for sure I will have an absolutely normal talk with him again this time.”

He said neither team would allow the incident to affect the contest on the pitch.

“There will be no extra energy on any direction from either team other than inside the pitch because that’s where both teams will have to fight each other and to play each other.”

Cardoso concluded: “I think everything is overcome. Let’s not make a big noise of something that is very small. There is so many things that happen in football that we don’t speak about, but this time flooded a bit too much.”