Rulani Mokwena: ‘The club felt disrespected…’

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has spoken out about how the club felt disrespected over an incident that happened exactly 27 months ago. 

Mokwena was addressing the issue of wantaway forward Gaston Sirino on PowerFM on Friday night.

The Uruguayan star has put in a transfer request, signalling that there is an imminent offer.

Sirino has struggled for game time this season as he has fallen down the pecking order at the DStv Premiership reigning champions. 

RULANI MOKWENA EXPLAINS WHY SUNDOWNS FELT DISRESPECTED

Mokwena revealed that Sirino had told them he was looking to continue his career elsewhere. 

“He said to me that I must wait for an offer, that there is an offer that is coming, and that was three weeks ago,” he told Power FM.

Mokwena went on to reveal that the offer was yet to come, adding that “the club can never do anything if there is no offer”.

The Downs mentor then opened up on how the club felt disrespected when Sirino wore a jersey of their Egyptian rivals Al Ahly. After swapping shirts with an opposing player, Sirino was pictured wearing the Al Ahly jersey in May 2021. This was after the two sides clashed in the CAF Champions League, with Ahly under Pitso Mosimane’s tutelage.

“But there’s a lot of things that are happening in that space with Sirino. And it’s not for the first time. 

“You’ll recall that a couple of seasons ago, and maybe there was a moment where he even showed publicly by wearing a rival, a big rival [Al Ahly] jersey at the stadium in front of our fans.

“You’ll remember how much our fans felt aggrieved, and our club felt aggrieved and disrespected, and rightfully so.”

At the time of the incident, then co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi said, “it was inappropriate for him to do that”.

SIRINO SET TO LEAVE MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

Sirino also admitted that he would welcome a transfer to the Egyptian giants while showering praise on Mosimane.

If Mokwena’s remarks are anything to go by, Sirino looks set to end his five-year stint at the club. He joined the Brazilians in 2018 and has won six league titles and several other trophies.

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