Sundowns Condemns Fan Violence During CAF Champions League Match
Mamelodi Sundowns has released a statement expressing their concerns regarding the unruly behavior that occurred during the club’s CAF Champions League first-leg quarterfinal against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday.
Clashes erupted between fans in Pretoria, resulting in the breaking of barricades and the throwing of stones.
The field became a site of congregation, and an Espérance fan nearly fell from the upper-tier stairs. However, Sundowns fan Siboniso Masango intervened and rescued him, later recounting the incident after the game.
“Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behavior displayed yesterday, April 1st, at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium,” the Sundowns statement read.
“Videos circulating on social media show malicious damage to the stadium and Mamelodi Sundowns supporters retreating from violent conduct initiated against them, including the use of flares and pepper spray.
“Sundowns awaits a full report from the Match Commissioner and is committed to cooperating with CAF to finalize its investigation before the return leg. Espérance de Tunis is a respected sports institution in Africa, and we trust that once all the evidence is reviewed, our brothers and sisters at Espérance will also condemn this behavior and take the necessary steps to ensure that the next encounter is one where all supporters feel safe and welcome.
“We are confident that the investigation will identify the circumstances that led to the unruly behavior. However, in accordance with our African culture of compassion and empathy (our African culture of Ubuntu), we are compelled to apologize to Espérance de Tunis and its supporters, as the unruly behavior took place at our home stadium, despite videos and facts indicating that Sundowns supporters did not initiate the violence.”
Peter Shalulile scored the game’s only goal in the second half, giving Sundowns a lead heading into the second leg in Tunisia on Tuesday.
