Rulani Mokwena slams Al Ahly over CAF referee complaints

With notes to highlight his points, the Downs mentor questioned the intention behind their rivals’ latest complaint to CAF over referees’ decisions.

READ: Why Mamelodi Sundowns stresses Al Ahly out - Rulani Mokwena

His Ahly counterpart Marcel Koller argued they should have been awarded a penalty in the first leg on Sunday, but Mokwena countered this with precision.

"I am very surprised that Al Ahly complained about the referee. Before the first leg, Al Ahly complained that they're playing at 3 o' clock, and yet they are allowed to fixture the second at their time that suits them," bemoaned Mokwena.

"You hear no complaints from Mamelodi Sundowns. I am surprised that Al Ahly are always complaining about referees, only when they lose.

"Jose Mourinho once said that, 'Once a big club starts to look for other factors, apart from football, when they lose, they start losing their status as a big club.'

"I hope that's not the case with Al Ahly because they are the flagship of African football. The rest of the world and Europe look at Al Ahly as a reflection of what African football represents.

"So, my question after that complaint is, what is really the intention? Because I can go through a list of incidents where the referees did not act in what I thought would be the just way."

There were several incidents in the match in Tshwane, and Mokwena was more than ready to draw attention to those he also felt the referee ignored, yet it’s Ahly who raised grievances.

"Sundowns, at the end of the game – seven fouls, two yellow cards; Al Ahly – 13 fouls, one yellow card. Now, I think if there's a team that needs to complain, it should be Mamelodi Sundowns," he added.

"But we don't complain because ours is to try to understand where the direction of the CAF leadership is trying to take African football."

Sundowns hold a 1-0 aggregate advantage going into tonight's fixture, which will be broadcast LIVE on SABC Sport, SABC + and sabcsport.com.

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