Wiliete SC coach Beto Bianchi draws line under Sundowns altercation

Wiliete SC coach Beto Bianchi says he has moved on from an alleged altercation involving a Mamelodi Sundowns official and is now focused on Friday’s CAF Champions League second-leg tie at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Bianchi was reportedly taken to hospital after an alleged scuffle with Steve Komphela following Sunday’s first-leg meeting in Lubango, which ended goalless.

The Angolan side will face Sundowns again in the second preliminary round, with the winners advancing to the CAF Champions League group stage.

Speaking at Thursday’s pre-match press conference at the match venue, Bianchi said the incident had been damaging to the image of football but that his attention was now firmly on the match.

“It was not a good situation for football,” Bianchi told KickOff.

“As professionals in the game, we always know there will be controversy, it can affect the game, and they have to avoid going to aggression. It was bad aggression.

“I couldn’t even defend myself.

“It was actually a bad attack that was supposed to affect the other side of the body; that was supposed to be on the private part of the body.”

Bianchi made clear that he did not hold Mamelodi Sundowns responsible as a club, saying he regarded the matter as the conduct of an individual.

“The club, Mamelodi Sundowns, has no responsibility for that action,” he said.

“All members of the staff of Sundowns are not guilty, it was the case of one person who didn’t act as professional.”

The coach added that the issue had been addressed, while stressing that he did not want it to distract from the decisive second leg.

“We have taken the problem up,” he said. “On my side, [it] is already forgotten. Now we are focusing on the sport that is football.”

The first-leg draw in Lubango leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the return fixture in Pretoria.

Kick-off is at 20:00.